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 (England) 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

The people who get the most out of it — badge or not — are the ones willing to follow a tip, wait something out or pivot quickly when plans fall through. —Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026

She’s never worked in intelligence, carried a badge, or been taught tradecraft. —Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026

Verb

Prosecutors said Bingham grabbed the agent's uniform and snatched his ID badge off his neck before pulling the victim's hair and pushing him into a glass wall. —Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026

Artists4Ceasefire has a new pin badge just in time for the 2026 Oscars ceremony. —Alex Ritman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for badge

• hajj
• madge

Kids Definition

badge

noun

ˈbaj 

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