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Definition of brownshirts

brownshirts

/ˈbraʊnˌʃɜːrts/
brown · shirts
Plural:brownshirts
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brownshirts Lexical Profile

brownshirts Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Members of any fascist, neo-Nazi, or violently authoritarian political movement or militia.

Example

"Critics warned that the extremist group's rally tactics resembled those of modern-day brownshirts."

2

Members of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the early paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party in Germany known for wearing brown uniforms.

Example

"Historians have extensively documented how the Brownshirts used street intimidation to suppress political opposition during the Weimar Republic."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

brownnoser
brownout
browns falls
brownshirts
brownstone
browsable
browse

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the 1920s as a translation of the German 'Braunhemden', referring to the surplus brown tropical uniforms originally intended for German colonial troops in East Africa that were adopted by the Sturmabteilung (SA).

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Brownshirts. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/brownshirts
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