Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Decoration has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
something used to beautify
"The festive lights and garlands served as decoration for the holiday party."
an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
"The captain proudly accepted his decoration as the star player of the championship tournament."
the act of decorating something (in the hope of making it more attractive)
"The decoration of the living room with colorful balloons and streamers was a labor of love for the upcoming party."
The act of adorning, embellishing, or honoring; ornamentation.
"The decoration of the cathedral's stained glass windows was completed just in time for the holiday season."
In plain English: A decoration is something added to make an object look nicer, such as ornaments on a tree or paint on a wall.
"She chose a small vase to serve as decoration on her dining table."
Usage: Use decoration to refer specifically to the physical objects used to adorn something rather than the abstract concept of making it beautiful. Distinguish this from decor, which describes a room's overall style and furnishings, when discussing interior design contexts.
The word decoration comes from the Latin decoratio, which shares its root with the modern verb to decorate. It entered English through French as a noun describing an act of adorning or embellishing something.