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Glite Dictionary
Distinguished Conduct Medal

Distinguished Conduct Medal

7.4
A British medal that honours soldiers for bravery in battle
  • noun
  • /dɪsˈtɪŋɡwɪʃt ˈkɒndʌkt ˈmɛdəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : Medalla de Conducta Distinguida
  • The Distinguished Conduct Medal is one of the highest honors awarded for remarkable conduct in the British military.

Examples

  • During the ceremony, several soldiers were recognized, including those who received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for their exceptional service.

  • That's the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

    War Horse (2011)

  • He was honored with the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery during the battle.

Surface Forms

Distinguished Conduct Medal singular
Distinguished Conduct Medals plural

Morphology

distinguished + conduct + medal

The phrase is compositional: 'medal' clearly denotes an honor or award, and 'distinguished conduct' literally means notably good or brave behaviour, so a learner who knows the parts can infer it is a medal awarded for distinguished behaviour. Although it is a specific British military decoration, the basic meaning is directly derivable from the constituents and is cross-linguistically transparent.

Etymology

Distinguished Conduct Medal was created in the 1800s to give regular soldiers a metal award for brave action in battle. The name is literal: distinguished means special, conduct means behaviour, and medal is the award, so it means 'a medal given for distinguished conduct in the field'.