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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sprinter Brittany Brown, a bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, now has a mural at the Claremont elementary school where she ran to escape childhood hardships.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
The Olympic boxing gold medalist turned professional world champion said the reforms "align directly" with Zuffa Boxing, a recently launched Saudi-owned boxing promoter that is a joint venture with UFC's parent company TKO Group Holdings.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
Meanwhile Team GB's four-time Olympic medalist Elinor Barker almost quit cycling because she was in too much pain to even sit on a bike.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
“We never thought about these numbers in the beginning,” said event planner Christian Toetzke, who co-founded Hyrox as a simple series of running and strength exercises with three-time Olympic hockey medalist Moritz Furste.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
I was young and inexperienced, and my coach was an Olympic medalist.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
