peace sign

American

noun

a sign representing “peace,” made by extending the forefinger and middle finger upward in a V -shape with the palm turned outward.

peace sign British

noun

a gesture made with the palm of the hand outwards and the index and middle fingers raised in a V See also V-sign

"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 peace sign

First recorded in 1965–70

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.

See Examples For:

peace sign

“Don’t worry, be happy,” Maduro said at an event in the capital of Caracas, wearing a sombrero and flashing a peace sign as he sang along to the Bobby McFerrin classic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025

Written atop a picture of her giving the peace sign in her track gear, it was typical teenage venting: a bit braggy, a bit crude, projecting a sassy confidence that wasn’t truly there.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2025

Asked about her friendship with Bridget, Juliet smiles, laughs and flashes a peace sign.

From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024

I was like, well, that's not the peace sign.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2024

I flashed a peace sign to English and he nodded, but only briefly, then he and Nam started talking quietly.

From "All American Boys" by Jason Reynolds

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