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

Capaldi strolled onto the stage, took in the view and raised a peace sign to the sky.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025

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

From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2024

I paint her in her bell-bottom pants and puffy-sleeved blouse with a halo of flowers and a pink peace sign in her hands.

From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar

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