Nazi

American  

[naht-see, nat-] / ˈnɑt si, ˈnæt- /

noun

plural

Nazis

1. a member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, which controlled Germany from 1933 to 1945 under Adolf Hitler and advocated totalitarian government, territorial expansion, antisemitism, and Aryan supremacy, all these leading directly to World War II and the Holocaust.

2. (often lowercase) a person elsewhere who holds similar views.

3. (often lowercase) a person who is fanatically dedicated to or seeks to regulate a specified activity, practice, etc..

   a jazz nazi who disdains other forms of music;

   health nazis trying to ban junk food.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Nazis.

Nazi British  

/ ˈnɑːtsɪ, ˈnɑːtsɪˌɪzəm, ˈnɑːtˌsɪzəm /

noun

1. a member of the fascist National Socialist German Workers' Party, which was founded in 1919 and seized political control in Germany in 1933 under Adolf Hitler

2. derogatory anyone who thinks or acts like a Nazi, esp showing racism, brutality, etc

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adjective

1. of, characteristic of, or relating to the Nazis

Sensitive Note

Nazi in the extended sense of “a fanatical or domineering person” has existed at least since 1980 and parallels the use of the word police in the language police/the grammar police . Though this usage of Nazi is usually intended as jocular, it implies being intolerant of other people’s views and practices. And many people consider any extended use of the word Nazi to be offensive, in that it trivializes the terrible crimes of the German Nazis.

Other Word Forms

• Nazism noun
• anti-Nazi adjective
• pro-Nazi adjective

Etymology

Origin of Nazi

First recorded in 1930–35; from German Nazi, short for Nationalsozialist “National Socialist”

Example Sentences

Through a youth theatrical group, he met Jews who were surreptitiously distributing leaflets calling for resistance to the Nazis, including sabotage in factories.

From The Wall Street Journal

When Hitler violated his nonaggression pact with Russia in June 1941, the U.S. and Britain agreed to supply tanks, trucks, munitions and foodstuffs to help the Soviets battle the Nazis.

From The Wall Street Journal

Australia has cancelled the visa of a British national charged this month with displaying banned Nazi symbols, the country's interior minister confirmed Wednesday.

From Barron's

Earlier this year, Australia tightened its hate crime laws, introducing mandatory jail terms for displaying hate symbols or performing a Nazi salute.

From BBC

She said he battened onto “clichés, stock phrases” and the slogans of the Nazi state.

From Salon