medal vs decoration

medal and decoration both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
medal	Yes	No	No	No
decoration	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, medal and decoration are synonyms defined as:

medal and decoration: an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event

Other synonyms of medal include laurel wreath, medallion, palm, ribbon.

medal (noun)	decoration (noun)
an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event	the act of decorating something (in the hope of making it more attractive)
	something used to beautify
	an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event