swastika
swastika Lexical Profile
swastika Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A right-facing, tilted version of this cross adopted in 1920 as the official emblem of the German Nazi Party and later used by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups.
"The museum exhibit documented how the regime's propaganda placed the swastika on flags, uniforms, and public buildings throughout the 1930s."
An ancient geometric symbol in the form of an equilateral cross with its cuatro arms bent at right angles, traditionally used across Eurasia and particularly in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism as a sacred sign of auspiciousness, prosperity, and good fortune.
"During the festival of Diwali, families often draw a traditional swastika near the entrance of their homes to invite good luck."
Word Nuance & Usage
While deeply revered for millennia as a sacred, auspicious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, the swastika carries an overwhelmingly negative and offensive association in the Western world due to its adoption by the Nazi Party.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 19th century from Sanskrit svastika ('conducive to well-being' or 'auspicious object'), derived from svasti ('well-being, good fortune'), from su- ('good, well') and asti ('it is').