silver medal

American  

noun

1. a medal, traditionally of silver or silver in color, awarded to a person or team finishing second in a competition, meet, or tournament.

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silver medal British  

noun

1. a medal of silver awarded to a competitor who comes second in a contest or race Compare gold medal bronze medal

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• silver medalist
  noun

Example Sentences

Within minutes, they trudged back onto the field so a silver medal could be draped around their necks.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

You see it in surprises like Ben Ogden’s silver medal romp in cross-country, the best U.S. men’s performance in 50 years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

And now, their aspirations of upgrading their silver medal from Beijing are no longer in their own hands.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

Gu, who had a poor second run and risked finishing out of the medals, came back strongly, scoring 89.00 with her final effort to catapult her into the silver medal position.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

“He wants to keep his knee. This is a very brave young man. He has been proposed for the silver medal of valor.”

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway