badge

1 of 2

noun

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
David Oyelowo’s Bass Reeves is committed to honoring his badge. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2023 But the city has refused to budge on the latter provision and has continued to withhold a badge from Bigda ever since. Hanna Krueger, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023 Andrew Matthews, the general counsel and executive director of the state police union, put that number at 27; Mr. Barone said the auditors had cleared only 20, because of duplicate badge numbers. Amelia Nierenberg, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023 Rather than create a separate badge and glue it to the hood, here it’s etched into the metal on the front and rear of the car. Alex Goy, WIRED, 2 Sep. 2023 While that may be a badge of honor on the mound, that grimy peak may not look as good in the bleachers. Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2023 How to protect yourself While some used to brag about battling through a flu to get to work, that's no longer a badge of pride, Lockard said. Minnah Arshad, The Courier-Journal, 29 Aug. 2023 There's also a convenient PVC ID card pocket to stick your work badge, driver's license, and student ID (or, maybe even your Metrocard or bus pass) in for fast and easy access. Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2023 Similar to a traditional law enforcement K-9, community policing K-9s are sworn in to their police departments and receive a badge. Nate Flauto, cleveland, 22 Aug. 2023
Verb
Netflix employees were badging out of the Icon, the streaming giant’s cantilevered glass tower. Gale Holland, Anchorage Daily News, 17 July 2022 An Alfa Romeo–badged baby-changing station replaces the standard trunk cover and slides in and out as needed. Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 28 Mar. 2023 The Nightshade edition turns the grille, rear bumper, and badges black and now features eye-catching bronze wheels. Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 10 May 2023 There will be an online offering, available only to badge holders, which will see certain films have online screenings that start the day after the in-person premiere, available for a 48-hour viewing window. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Feb. 2022 In another initiative aimed at boosting revenue, Twitter plans to start charging companies to maintain the gold check-mark verification badges the company introduced in December, which replaced the blue check-marks for businesses. Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Feb. 2023 Davis, who would have marked 23 years with the Portland Police Bureau in November, is expected to turn in his Portland police badge the third week of August and expects to start as chief in Green Bay the second week of September. oregonlive, 29 July 2021 For 2022, films will have an in-person premiere, then move to the festival’s online viewing platform for a 48-hour viewing window available to badge holders only. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2022 Jeep doesn't even badge its Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer as Jeeps, lest they be tainted by the mud-plugging reputation of its lesser models. Mike Sutton, Car and Driver, 4 Mar. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'badge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of badge was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near badge

Cite this Entry

“Badge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badge. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

badge

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

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