decoration
Americannoun
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something used for decorating; adornment; embellishment.
The gymnasium was adorned with posters and crepe-paper decorations for the dance.
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the act of decorating.
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a badge, medal, etc., conferred and worn as a mark of honor.
a decoration for bravery.
noun
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an addition that renders something more attractive or ornate; adornment
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the act, process, or art of decorating
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a medal, badge, etc, conferred as a mark of honour
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of decoration
First recorded in 1575–85; from Late Latin decorātiōn- (stem of decorātiō ) “an ornament”; see decorate, -ion
Explanation
A decoration is anything used to make something more attractive or festive. If you’re having a Valentine’s Day party, drape your house in red and pink decorations. Decoration is also a type of honor, like a soldier's medal or stripe. To decorate is to spiff something up, making it more colorful and attractive, like hanging streamers in a room or ornaments on a tree. Decorations are things used in this way. Many decorations are specific to holidays, like green decorations for St. Patrick's Day. Also, decorations are the honors given to people who have won or achieved something. A war hero's Purple Heart medal is a decoration. You can say that someone who has many of these honors is decorated.
Vocabulary lists containing decoration
Memorial Day Words
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"Familiar Places"
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 12–February 18, 2022
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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.
“It’s a decoration, because your system has to now fight the sugar while it’s trying to digest it.”
From MarketWatch • May 10, 2026
Trump then announced that Williams would receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026
They’re an everyday kitchen staple, a decoration drying outside homes, and a tool to ward off bad spirits and illness.
From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026
A study published in the Journal of World Prehistory suggests that some of the earliest known images of plants created by humans served a deeper purpose than decoration.
From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025
So far she is the only woman to have received the nation’s highest decoration for valor.
From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly
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.
