bronze medal: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral to formal; widely used in sports journalism, everyday news, and casual conversation about achievements.
Quick answer
What does “bronze medal” mean?
A medal, typically made of bronze, awarded for third place in a competition or sporting event.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A medal, typically made of bronze, awarded for third place in a competition or sporting event.
A symbolic award or recognition for achieving third-best status; more broadly, any outcome that is commendable but not the top achievement.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. British usage may more frequently reference Commonwealth Games or specific UK sports events.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties: recognition of achievement with an implicit acknowledgment of not being first.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties due to globalized sports coverage.
Grammar
How to Use “bronze medal” in a Sentence
[Subject] wins/takes/earns a bronze medal in [event][Subject] is awarded a bronze medal for [achievement]The bronze medal goes to [recipient]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bronze medal” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The team were delighted to bronze medal in the relay.
- She bronzed in the 400m freestyle.
American English
- The team bronze-medaled in the relay.
- She bronze medaled in the 400m freestyle.
adjective
British English
- A bronze-medal performance
- The bronze-medal match is this afternoon.
American English
- A bronze medal performance
- The bronze medal game is this afternoon.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used literally; can be metaphorical: 'Our product finished with the bronze medal in market share this quarter.'
Academic
Used in sports science, history of the Olympics, or sociological studies on competition and achievement.
Everyday
Common in discussions of sports results, school competitions, or ranking personal achievements.
Technical
Specific to sports regulations, medal composition (e.g., '97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin'), and award ceremonies.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bronze medal”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bronze medal”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bronze medal”
- Incorrect: 'bronze metal' (a confusion of homophones).
- Incorrect plural: 'bronzes medals' instead of 'bronze medals'.
- Incorrect article: 'win bronze medal' instead of 'win a/the bronze medal'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, yes, but regulations vary. Modern Olympic bronze medals are mostly copper (with a small percentage of tin/zinc). The term is fixed regardless of exact composition.
Yes, informally in sports journalism (e.g., 'She bronze-medaled'). It's more common in American English ('bronze medaled') than British English.
They are often synonymous. 'Bronze medal' specifically implies a physical medal is awarded in a formal competition. 'Third place' is more general and can be used in any ranking context.
It can be reductive and dismissive, depending on context. While it factually denotes third place, it may undermine the significant achievement it represents, especially at elite levels.
A medal, typically made of bronze, awarded for third place in a competition or sporting event.
Bronze medal is usually neutral to formal; widely used in sports journalism, everyday news, and casual conversation about achievements. in register.
Bronze medal: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbrɒnz ˈmed.əl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbrɑːnz ˈmed.əl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “bronze is the new silver (jocular, implying lowered expectations)”
- “to be left with bronze (to only achieve third best)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the Olympic podium: GOLD (1st) is highest value, SILVER (2nd) is second-best, BRONZE (3rd) is the brownish metal—three letters in '3rd', three syllables in 'bronze medal'.
Conceptual Metaphor
ACHIEVEMENT IS A METAL (with a hierarchy of value: gold > silver > bronze).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'bronze medal' LEAST likely to be used literally?