A medallion is a large decorative coin or medal, usually worn on a chain around the neck or displayed as an honor. Olympic athletes receive gold, silver, or bronze medals hanging from colorful ribbons. Museums often display ancient medallions that rulers gave to generals who won important battles.

Medallions typically feature raised designs, portraits, or symbols pressed into metal. A medallion might show a president's profile, a national emblem, or an image commemorating a special event. Unlike regular medals that simply recognize achievement, medallions often serve as decorative art pieces or status symbols.

In architecture, medallion also describes round or oval decorative elements on ceilings, floors, or furniture. You might notice a carved wooden medallion on an antique dresser or a plaster medallion on a fancy ceiling with an ornate design radiating outward.

The word sometimes appears in cooking too: chefs cut thick round slices of meat, like beef tenderloin, into medallions because their shape resembles those decorative coins.