'奖章' (jiǎng zhāng) is a compound noun meaning 'medal' or 'award badge' — a physical token given to recognize achievement, excellence, or service. The first character 奖 (jiǎng) means 'to reward' or 'prize', carrying the semantic core of recognition and merit. The second character 章 (zhāng) originally meant 'badge', 'emblem', or 'seal', and in modern usage often denotes an official insignia or decorative honor symbol. Together, they form a word specifically for tangible, wearable awards — typically metal discs with engravings, worn on uniforms or displayed ceremonially.

This term is commonly used in educational, military, sports, and governmental contexts — for example, school academic medals, Olympic gold medals, or commendation badges for public service. Unlike generic terms like 'prize' (奖品 jiǎng pǐn), 奖章 emphasizes formality, prestige, and symbolic value rather than material worth. It is not used for certificates (证书 zhèng shū) or cash rewards (奖金 jiǎng jīn), nor for informal or humorous 'awards' — those would use lighter terms like '小奖' (xiǎo jiǎng, 'small prize').