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pennant

American  
[pen-uhnt] / ˈpɛn ənt /

noun

  1. a long, tapering flag or burgee of distinctive form and special significance, borne on naval or other vessels and used in signaling or for identification.

  2. any relatively long, tapering flag.

  3. a flag serving as an emblem of victory or championship, especially in baseball.

  4. Music. hook.

  5. Nautical. pendant.


pennant British  
/ ˈpɛnənt /

noun

  1. a type of pennon, esp one flown from vessels as identification or for signalling

    1. a flag serving as an emblem of championship in certain sports

    2. ( as modifier )

      pennant cricket

  2. nautical another word for pendant

  3. same as flag 1

"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 pennant

First recorded in 1605–15; blend of pennon and pendant

Explanation

A pennant is a long flag that tapers at one end. You might see a pennant flying on a navy ship, being waved in the crowd of spectators at a baseball game, or hanging on a sporty kid’s bedroom wall. Nautical pennants were the original triangular or tapered flags, and they are still flown on most active warships. Sporting pennants also have a long history, and were once commonly given as prizes or trophies and waved by fans in the stands at high school and college sporting events. Sports teams can still win a pennant, but pennants are often purchased as souvenirs at games and wind up on fans’ walls.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing pennant

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.

Two decades ago, when fake news actually meant fake, the Onion ran this headline: “Yankees Ensure 2003 Pennant By Signing Every Player In Baseball.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

Prysor, Mostyn, Gower and Pennant are examples of these.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2023

Officer Pennant has since recovered from the shooting and was released from St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was greeted by the applause of his colleagues and hospital staff.

From Fox News • Feb. 3, 2022

Price: ~25 Oxford Pennant Lapgear lap desk Working from home does not mean you have to have a crazy desk setup.

From The Verge • Nov. 9, 2020

Bass had heard the idea from Alan Fournier of Pennant Capital, in New Jersey—who in turn had heard it from Lippmann.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis