Nazi

American  

[naht-see, nat-] / ˈnɑt si, ˈnæt- /

noun

• Nazis
  plural

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 /

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Nazis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Nazi

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Nazi Nazis

It has survived French revolutionaries who wanted to use it to cover a wagon and Nazi soldiers who tried to move it to Berlin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Several Russian officials welcomed the planned shows, while others expressed concerns about the rapper's past comments glorifying Nazi Germany, a sensitive issue in Russia.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

D-Day, on 6 June 1944, saw British, American and Canadian troops storm beaches along the Normandy coastline to begin the liberation of France from Nazi occupation.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Lilly Cassirer Neubauer escaped Germany at the dawn of World War II by relinquishing to a Nazi art broker the exquisite impressionist masterpiece “Rue Saint-Honoré in the Afternoon. Effect of Rain,” by Camille Pissarro.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Germany was ruled by Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party, who wanted Germany to rule Europe.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Russia was invaded by the Nazis in World War Two, and the country's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman was among who criticised the planned shows.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Brecht’s furiously unsentimental farces got him harangued — first by the Nazis, then by the House Un-American Activities Committee.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

The spectre of a far-right state government drew thousands of the AfD's opponents to a rally on Saturday in Magdeburg, the regional capital, with banners saying "life is better without Nazis".

From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026

A painting which was stolen by the Nazis and only recovered in Argentina last year must now be returned to the heir of its rightful owner, a court has ruled.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

But it feels so good not to have any Nazis in the house.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron