aegis
Americannoun
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Classical Mythology. the shield or breastplate of Zeus or Athena, bearing at its center the head of the Gorgon.
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protection; support.
under the imperial aegis.
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sponsorship; auspices.
a debate under the aegis of the League of Women Voters.
- Synonyms:
- patronage
noun
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sponsorship or protection; auspices (esp in the phrase under the aegis of )
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Greek myth the shield of Zeus, often represented in art as a goatskin
Etymology
Origin of aegis
First recorded in 1425–1475; late Middle English, from Latin, from Greek aigís “shield of Zeus or Athena,” probably from aig- (stem of aíx “goat”) + -is noun suffix, from a type of cloak or shield made of goatskin
Explanation
To be under the aegis of an organization is to be sponsored or protected by them. For instance, you were under the aegis of the Peace Corps when you were living in Swaziland. The noun aegis comes from the Greek word Aigis, which was the name of Zeus’s shield. That’s Zeus, the most powerful Greek god, who probably had a pretty tough shield, even though it was made of goatskin. To say that something or someone is under the aegis of another is basically saying that they have the strength of Zeus on their side. Or, at least, whoever is protecting them will be as Zeus-like as possible in their support.
Vocabulary lists containing aegis
Leadership Vocabulary
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Mythology
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Excerpt from "The Odyssey"
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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.
Its scientific name follows the same idea: in Greek mythology the aegis was a protective shield.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
There are a bazillion decisions that get made under the aegis of a president’s executive branch.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
This task is left to a 170-plus member “committee” under the aegis of the IMO, and good luck to any voter in Boston, Berlin or Bangkok who wants to influence that debate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025
Newer material like “Cry for Me” and “São Paolo” showed that, whatever his exhaustion with this aegis, he’s got tons of startling ideas still brimming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2025
Athena turned her aegis shield his way and Hermes scuffled off.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
