fasces

American

[fas-eez] / ˈfæs iz /

noun

(usually used with a singular verb)

a bundle of rods containing an ax with the blade projecting, borne before Roman magistrates as an emblem of official power.

fasces British

/ ˈfæsiːz /

plural noun

(in ancient Rome) one or more bundles of rods containing an axe with its blade protruding; a symbol of a magistrate's power
(in modern Italy) such an object used as the symbol of Fascism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fasces

1590–1600; < Latin, plural of fascis bundle, pack

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Mussolini coined the term fascism, he adopted the ancient Roman fasces as its symbol—a bundle of rods, with an ax-head, bound together with unifying cords.

From Salon • Aug. 7, 2023

Greeks adopted the Phoenician fasces to symbolize power.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

The fasces, a bundle of rods and an ax that symbolized the authority of Roman magistrates, originally denoted the authority of Etruscan kings.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

“The fasces is essentially a mobile kit for punishment,” Brennan said.

From Washington Post • Oct. 1, 2022

Under the brass eagle and fasces of his ensign’s cap, Milton Stephanides left the Boy Scouts behind.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023