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

Poehler left the stage with her hands around Snoop, then threw out a peace sign during her exit.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

“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

In one post on Instagram, she wore green scrubs as she made a peace sign.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2024

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

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2024

I recognized the hood ornament that looked sort of like a peace sign.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

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