gold medal

American  

noun

1. a medal, traditionally of gold or gold color, awarded to a person or team finishing first in a competition, meet, or tournament; championship medal.

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gold medal British  

noun

1. a medal of gold, awarded to the winner of a competition or race Compare silver medal bronze medal

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Other Word Forms

• gold medalist noun

Etymology

Origin of gold medal

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

There’s no prize pool or gold medal to be won.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

Staley, a Hall of Fame player and gold medal Olympian, is a transformative character.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Now retired, he is Britain's most decorated diver having competed in five Olympic Games and collected three bronze, one silver and one gold medal.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka, two of the stars of Team USA's gold medal winning women's ice hockey squad, were ready for their closeup on the Oscars red carpet.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

There is also to be a special service at one of the churches and some kind of a contest with a gold medal for the prize.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers