Distinguished Service Medal
1
5.0
- noun
- /dɪsˈtɪŋɡwɪʃt ˈsɜrvɪs ˈmɛdəl/
- Formal
:
Medalla de Servicio Distinguida
- During a ceremony, the general presented the Distinguished Service Medal to soldiers for their bravery in difficult missions.
Examples
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The Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to military personnel for their outstanding contributions in combat.
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His Vietnam service earned him a Bronze Star and a Distinguished Service Medal.
Academic text (2011) -
And he is one of only 14 captains in the armed forces, to ever receive a Distinguished Service Medal and the Silver Star.
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For service in Vietnam, he earned the Distinguished Service Medal and three Vietnamese personal decorations.
Academic text (2010) -
By order of the president of the United States... the Distinguished Service Medal... is awarded to Captain Virgil I. Grissom... who distinguished himself by valor above and beyond the call of duty.
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He received the Distinguished Service Medal for his exceptional leadership during the war.
Surface Forms
Morphology
distinguished + service + medal
The phrase is compositionally transparent: combining 'distinguished' (notable), 'service' (military service) and 'medal' (an honor) yields a medal awarded for notable military service. This is a literal, name-like construction that follows common patterns for awards across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the basic meaning even if they may not know the precise formal criteria.
Etymology
The Distinguished Service Medal comes from the idea that the military gives a medal for distinguished service, meaning work that 'stands out' because it is very important. So the name means a special military award for very important service.