swastika

IPA/ˈswɒstɪkə/
KK[swˈɑstɪkə]IPA/ˈswɑːstɪkə/

swastika — noun

  • swastikasingular
  • swastikasplural

1. A symbol shaped like a cross with four arms that each turn at a right angle, ado

1.nounB2
Definition

A symbol shaped like a cross with four arms that each turn at a right angle, adopted by Hitler's Nazi party in the early twentieth century as a sign of antisemitism and of the claim that Caucasians rank above all other races. In present-day contexts, showing this symbol is widely understood as endorsing those same hateful ideas.

Example

Walid found an old photograph of Nazi soldiers carrying a swastika flag through Berlin.

collocation: swastika flag

Several European countries have laws that make it illegal to display a swastika in public.

verb collocation: display a swastika

Common collocations
  • swastika flag
  • display a swastika
  • swastika symbol
  • swastika graffiti
  • swastika armband
  • paint a swastika
  • the swastika emblem
Synonyms
  • Nazi symbol

    descriptive term that avoids the Sanskrit origin; more neutral in tone

  • hooked cross

    descriptive shape-based term sometimes used to avoid the charged word 'swastika'; less common in everyday speech

  • hakenkreuz

    the German name for the Nazi symbol; used in historical discussions, rarely in general English

Grammar Patterns

the swastika

a swastika

swastika + noun (as modifier)

Usage Note

This symbol is extremely offensive to Jewish people and to many others who suffered under Nazi rule. Displaying it in public is illegal in Germany, France, Austria, and several other European countries. In English, the word 'swastika' most commonly refers to this Nazi version; when the ancient religious symbol is meant, speakers usually add context to avoid confusion.

Common Mistakes

He decorated his room with a swastika because he thought it looked interesting.
He decorated his room with a swastika, not realising how deeply offensive the symbol is to many people.
In the modern Western world, a swastika is never a neutral or purely decorative image.
The Buddhist swastika and the Nazi swastika are the same thing.
The Buddhist swastika and the Nazi swastika share the same shape but have completely opposite meanings.
The shape alone should not be confused with the meaning.

2. A symbol with the same bent-arm cross shape that has been used for thousands of

2.nounB2
Definition

A symbol with the same bent-arm cross shape that has been used for thousands of years in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions, where it stands for good fortune, peace, and spiritual well-being. This ancient meaning is entirely separate from its use as a Nazi symbol.

Example

Gita admired the golden swastika carved into the wooden altar of the Buddhist temple.

collocation: swastika carved into [surface]

In Hindu weddings, a swastika drawn on the floor with powder brings good luck.

active construction: swastika brings good luck

Common collocations
  • swastika pattern
  • swastika motif
  • draw a swastika
  • swastika symbol
  • swastika on an altar
  • swastika carved in stone
Synonyms
  • manji (卍)

    Japanese name for the religious symbol; used in English mostly in discussions of Japanese culture and Buddhism

  • wan (卍/卐)

    Chinese name (pinyin: wàn); used in English to refer to the symbol in Chinese cultural contexts

  • auspicious symbol

    descriptive term emphasising the positive meaning in Asian traditions

Grammar Patterns

a swastika

the swastika

swastika + noun (as modifier)

Usage Note

In English, the word 'swastika' can cause confusion because it refers to both this ancient religious symbol and the Nazi hate symbol. Speakers often add clarifying phrases such as 'the Buddhist swastika,' 'the Hindu swastika,' or 'the religious swastika' to make clear which meaning is intended. In Asia, the symbol is generally oriented flat (one arm pointing up, one down) and may be written as 卍 in Chinese script.

Common Mistakes

The swastika is always a symbol of hate.
The swastika has two very different meanings: a hate symbol used by the Nazis and an ancient religious symbol of good fortune in Eastern religions.
The context determines which meaning applies.
The Nazi swastika and the Hindu swastika face opposite directions, so they are different symbols.
Both the Nazi and the Hindu swastikas can face either direction; what matters is the historical and cultural context, not the orientation of the arms.
Orientation alone does not distinguish them.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four terms can refer to the same bent-arm cross used by the Nazis, they carry different overtones. 'Swastika' is the most common everyday English word but has Sanskrit origins that many speakers find at odds with its hateful modern meaning. 'Nazi symbol' is a purely descriptive phrase that avoids the Sanskrit connection entirely, making it a more neutral choice in factual contexts. 'Hooked cross' is a rare shape-based alternative occasionally used in academic writing to bypass the emotional charge of 'swastika,' though it is not widely recognised by general readers. 'Hakenkreuz' is the German term for the Nazi party emblem and appears mostly in historical scholarship about the Third Reich. For most learners, 'swastika' is the word you need to understand and recognise; 'Nazi symbol' is a safe alternative when you want to describe the symbol without naming it directly.

swastika ↗Nazi symbolhooked crosshakenkreuz ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • display a swastika
  • paint a swastika
  • carve a swastika
  • draw a swastika
  • swastika carved into
  • swastika on a flag

Prepositions

  • with a swastika
  • swastika on [something]
  • swastika of the Nazis

Etymology

SanskritEnglish

The English word 'swastika' was borrowed in the late 1800s from Sanskrit 'svastika' (स्वस्तिक), which combines 'su-' meaning 'good' and 'asti' meaning 'it is' — essentially 'that which brings good fortune.' The suffix '-ka' makes it a diminutive, so the original sense was 'little lucky charm.' The symbol had been used for thousands of years across Asia and parts of Europe as a positive religious emblem before the German Nazi Party adopted it in the 1920s, completely transforming its meaning in the Western world.