swastika

American  

[swos-ti-kuh, swas-] / ˈswɒs tɪ kə, ˈswæs- /

noun

1. a figure used as a symbol or an ornament in the Old World and in America since prehistoric times, consisting of a cross with arms of equal length, each arm having a continuation at right angles.

2. this figure as the official emblem of the Nazi party and the Third Reich.

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swastika British  

/ ˈswɒstɪkə /

noun

1. a primitive religious symbol or ornament in the shape of a Greek cross, usually having the ends of the arms bent at right angles in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction

2. this symbol with clockwise arms, officially adopted in 1935 as the emblem of Nazi Germany

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• swastikaed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of swastika

1850–55; < Sanskrit svastika, equivalent to su- good, well (cognate with Greek eu- eu- ) + as- be ( see is) + -ti- abstract noun suffix + -ka secondary noun suffix

Example Sentences

One of the most famous images, Robert Capa's The Shaved Woman of Chartres, shows a young mother walking through a jeering crowd with a swastika painted on her forehead.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called the policy “absolutely horrific,” while Sen. Catherine Cortez Mastro, D-Nev., said the swastika is “a hate symbol, plain and simple.”

From Salon • Nov. 21, 2025

While browsing a map of Madrid from 1940, Mr. Cheshire spotted a stamp in the top-left corner identifying its provenance: a black swastika.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

The manji symbol, which resembles a swastika, faces the opposite direction.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2024

That's consistent with when the first swastika was reported found.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman