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.
This wasn’t a partition under the aegis of the British Empire: It happened 24 years after the British left.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
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
Peacekeeping forces - under the aegis of either the United Nations or Nato - traditionally are impartial, operate with the consent of both parties and use force only to defend themselves.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2025
But I think they were able to justify it under the aegis of anticommunism.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2024
Athena turned her aegis shield his way and Hermes scuffled off.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Definitions 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.
