Medal of Honor

American

noun

the highest U.S. military decoration, awarded by Congress to a member of the armed forces for gallantry and bravery in combat, at the risk of life and above and beyond the call of duty.

Medal of Honor British

noun

the highest US military decoration, awarded by Congress for conspicuous bravery in action: instituted in 1861 (Navy), 1862 (Army)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medal of Honor Cultural

The highest military decoration in the United States armed services, often called the Congressional Medal of Honor. It recognizes valor and bravery in action “above and beyond the call of duty.” There have been some 3,400 recipients of the medal, which was established by an act of Congress in 1862.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

O’Hare International Airport in Chicago was named for Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare, the first Navy pilot to win the Medal of Honor, who died in combat in 1943.

From Slate • Dec. 20, 2025

After he was freed, Dick O’Kane became one of the seven World War II submariners awarded the Medal of Honor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

Some of the content unpublished from the site was on veterans who had received the nation's highest military recognition, the Medal of Honor, according to military news site Task & Purpose.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2025

Richard Allen Penry, an Army veteran who received the Medal of Honor.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2024

I follow the shelves around and let my fingers graze a big golden Medal of Honor.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023