swastika

noun

swas·​ti·​ka ˈswä-sti-kə How to pronounce swastika (audio)
 also  swä-ˈstē-
1
: a symbol or ornament in the form of a Greek cross with the ends of the arms extended at right angles all in the same rotary direction
2
: a swastika used as a symbol of anti-Semitism or of Nazism

Examples of swastika in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Three days later, at 5:15 p.m., two men drew two swastikas in the snow at St. John’s University on Utopia Parkway in Queens, police said. Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2025 Police in Denver, Colorado, have launched an investigation over a Nazi swastika seen on display in a window of the city's historic Austin Building on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025 The Denver Police Department first learned of the swastika on Jan. 23, and the investigation by the Bias-Motivated Crimes Unit is in progress, Sgt. Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, 27 Jan. 2025 Recent happenings across the globe—from Australia to Canada—have reported concerning incidents including swastika vandalism being spray-painted on a synagogue. Irwin Cotler, TIME, 26 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for swastika 

Word History

Etymology

Sanskrit svastika, from svasti well-being, from su- well + as- to be; akin to Sanskrit asti he is, Old English is; from its being regarded as a good luck symbol

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of swastika was in 1871

Dictionary Entries Near swastika

Cite this Entry

“Swastika.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swastika. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

swastika

noun
swas·​ti·​ka ˈswäs-ti-kə How to pronounce swastika (audio)
 also  swä-ˈstē-kə
: a symbol in the form of a cross with the ends of the arms bent at right angles all in the same direction
Etymology

from a word in Sanskrit (the ancient language of India) svastika "a symbol in the form of a cross with bent arms," from svasti "well-being"

More from Merriam-Webster on swastika

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!