medalist

American  

[med-l-ist] / ˈmɛd l ɪst /

especially British, medallist

noun

1. a person to whom a medal has been awarded.

2. (in a golf tournament) the player having the lowest score in a qualifying round scored by strokes.

3. a designer, engraver, or maker of medals.

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Etymology

Origin of medalist

1965–70; < French médailliste < Italian medaglista. See medal, -ist

Explanation

If you win a commemorative metal disk in a sports competition, you can call yourself a medalist. Win first place in an Olympic event and you'll be a gold medalist! Back in the 1750s, a medalist was a person who made medals from metal — a particular kind of metalsmith. By the end of the 18th century, the word was also used for someone who received or won a medal, and that's since become the more common definition. If you want to be a medalist, you'll need to practice your skills at the high jump, start a heroic military career, or become a champion speller.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

medalist

This year’s lineup includes everyone from Hollywood veterans to reality TV favorites and an Olympic gold medalist.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

John Overdeck was an International Math Olympiad medalist as a teenager and graduated from Stanford.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Suzanne Lenglen, an Olympic gold medalist and winner of eight Grand Slam tournaments in singles, was the first to shed the garden-party attire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

A teenager who has spent the summer making history as Jersey's first Commonwealth Games medalist in 36 years delayed opening his A-level results to concentrate on winning another gold medal.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

I knew that Katelyn trained with Nastia Liukin, the 2008 Olympic all-around gold medalist, at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano, just outside of Dallas.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Related Words

• challenger
• champ
• defender
• hero
• number one
• winner