badge

1 of 2

noun

ˈbaj 

plural badges

1

: a device or token especially of membership in a society or group

2

: a characteristic mark

3

: an emblem awarded for a particular accomplishment

4

British : button sense 1b

Solicitors have reacted with dismay after Staffordshire courts ordered them to remove "political" badges.

—Birmingham Post

badge

2 of 2

verb

badged; badging; badges

transitive verb

: to mark or distinguish (someone or something) with or as if with a badge

Guests arrived and were counted and badged.

—The New Yorker

They were dressed in uniform, too, but theirs were everyday uniforms, not ceremonial. Dark olive cloth, worn and creased, badged here and there with the unfamiliar insignia of their rank.

—Lee Child

My daughter's hands were raw and scraped from shucking four hundred oysters the night before, her knuckles badged with tiny, brilliant, forming scabs.

—William Boyd

Examples of badge in a Sentence

Noun

The policeman flashed his badge.

Don't forget to wear your name badge.

The receptionist glanced at my visitor's badge.

She earned 10 merit badges in scouting.

She was wearing a badge that read “Support your local library.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Crane said setting long-term goals for their cookie proceeds and other fundraisers, including fall product sales (candy and magazines) and hosting activities like badge workshops for younger Girl Scouts, was a big incentive for the girls to stay in the troop. —Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025

Other artifacts on view include ceremonial cowrie shell baskets, flags from various slave rebellions, and slave badges from markets across North and South America. —Kaila Philo, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Jan. 2025

Verb

Pilgrim badges By the middle decades of the 12th century, metal pilgrim badges were produced at low costs. —Virginia Raguin, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2025

For those users the only option is a new PC — but helpfully Microsoft has badged 2025 the year of the Windows 11 PC upgrade. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bage, bagge, of obscure origin

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing badge

• badge of honor/pride
• film badge

Kids Definition

badge

noun

ˈbaj 

: a mark or sign worn to show that a person belongs to a certain group, class, or rank