Definitions for swastika
ˈswɒs tɪ kəswasti·ka

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. swastika, Hakenkreuznoun

   the official emblem of the Nazi Party and the Third Reich; a cross with the arms bent at right angles in a clockwise direction

WiktionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. swastikanoun

   A cross with arms of equal length all bent halfway along at a 90° angle to the right or to the left, used as a religious symbol by various ancient and modern civilizations, and adopted more recently (with arms angled to the right) as a symbol of Nazism and fascism.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Swastika

   The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It continues to be used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It generally takes the form of a cross, the arms of which are of equal length and perpendicular to the adjacent arms, each bent midway at a right angle.The word swastika comes from Sanskrit: स्वस्तिक, romanized: svastika, meaning "conducive to well-being". In Hinduism, the right-facing symbol (clockwise) (卐) is called swastika, symbolizing surya ("sun"), prosperity and good luck, while the left-facing symbol (counter-clockwise) (卍) is called sauwastika, symbolising night or tantric aspects of Kali. In Jain symbolism, it represents Suparshvanatha – the seventh of 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers and saviours), while in Buddhist symbolism it represents the auspicious footprints of the Buddha. In several major Indo-European religions, the swastika symbolises lightning bolts, representing the thunder god and the king of the gods, such as Indra in Vedic Hinduism, Zeus in the ancient Greek religion, Jupiter in the ancient Roman religion, and Thor in the ancient Germanic religion. The symbol is found in the archeological remains of the Indus Valley Civilisation and Samarra, as well as in early Byzantine and Christian artwork.Used for the first time by far-right Romanian politician A. C. Cuza as a symbol of international antisemitism prior to World War I, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck for most of the Western world until the 1930s, when the German Nazi Party adopted the swastika as an emblem of the Aryan race. As a result of World War II and the Holocaust, in the West it continues to be strongly associated with Nazism, antisemitism, white supremacism, or simply evil. As a consequence, its use in some countries, including Germany, is prohibited by law. However, the swastika remains a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain countries such as Nepal, India, Thailand, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, China and Japan, and by some peoples, such as the Navajo people of the Southwest United States. It is also commonly used in Hindu marriage ceremonies and Dipavali celebrations. In various European languages, it is known as the fylfot, gammadion, tetraskelion, or cross cramponnée (a term in Anglo-Norman heraldry); German: Hakenkreuz; French: croix gammée; Italian: croce uncinata; Latvian: ugunskrusts. In Mongolian it is called хас (khas) and mainly used in seals. In Chinese it is called 卍字 (wànzì), pronounced manji in Japanese, manja (만자) in Korean and vạn tự / chữ vạn in Vietnamese. In Balti/ Tibetan language it is called Yung drung.Reverence for the swastika symbol in Asian cultures, in contrast to the stigma attached to it in the West, has led to misinterpretations and misunderstandings.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. swastika

   The swastika is an ancient religious icon used in various cultures, including Eurasia. It typically represents prosperity, good fortune and is associated with divinity and spirituality in Indian religions. However, it was co-opted by the Nazi party in the 20th century as their emblem, leading to its strong association with hate, anti-Semitism, and the atrocities of the Holocaust in Western cultures.

WikidataRate this definition:3.3 / 3 votes

1. Swastika

   The swastika is an equilateral cross with four arms bent at 90 degrees. The earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization as well as the Mediterranean Classical Antiquity. Swastikas have also been used in various other ancient civilizations around the world including China, Japan, India, and Southern Europe. It remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, primarily as a tantric symbol to evoke shakti or the sacred symbol of auspiciousness. The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good" or "auspicious," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix. The swastika literally means "to be good". Or another translation can be made: "swa" is "higher self", "asti" meaning "being", and "ka" as a suffix, so the translation can be interpreted as "being with higher self". The symbol has a long history in Europe reaching back to antiquity. In modern times, following a brief surge of popularity as a good luck symbol in Western culture, a swastika was adopted as a symbol of the Nazi Party of Germany in 1920, who used the swastika as a symbol of the Aryan race. After Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, a right-facing 45° rotated swastika was incorporated into the Nazi party flag, which was made the state flag of Germany during Nazism. Hence, the swastika has become strongly associated with Nazism and related concepts such as antisemitism, hate, violence, death, and murder in many countries, and is now largely stigmatized there due to the changed connotations of the symbol. Notably, it has been outlawed in Germany and other countries if used as a symbol of Nazism in certain instances . Many modern political extremists and Neo-Nazi groups such as the Russian National Unity use stylized swastikas or similar symbols.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Swastika

   swäs′ti-ka, n. the same as Fylfot (q.v.).—Also Svas′tika and Gammadion. [Sans., 'fortunate.']

Matched Categories

1. • Emblem
   • Tetraskelion

How to pronounce swastika?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say swastika in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of swastika in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of swastika in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of swastika in a Sentence

1. Claire McCaskill:

   Well, the crazy Democrats are the people who are getting in the face of elected officials in restaurants and screaming at them. The crazy Democrats is whoever put a swastika on one of Josh Hawley's signs in rural Missouri. That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about, the extreme stuff.

2. Blake Flayton:

   An American Jew is only used to perceiving anti-Semitism as Nazis in Charlottesville carrying tiki torches, or a swastika being spray-painted onto a synagogue wall, or the Christian right saying that Jews killed Jesus Christ. We're not very attuned to and good at recognizing anti-Semitism when it doesn't come from that extreme side of the political spectrum, but we are going to have to get used to it, because that's what's coming here. It's already here.

3. Forrest Dunbar:

   For Forrest Dunbar and most Jews, seeing the yellow Star of David on someone's chest elicits the same feeling as seeing a swastika on a flag or the SS insignia on a uniform, it is a symbol of hate that reminds us Jews of the terror and horror we suffered. I believe it is a constitutional right to protest for your values. But I request that you do not use symbols that diminish the 6 million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust and the survivors who would like their children not to know the nightmare they endured.

4. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson:

   We’ve witnessed the desecration of cherished monuments, like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Terry Fox Statue, displays of hate symbols, like the Confederate flag and the swastika, and all types of bad behavior that have taken away the freedom of our residents to live without fear, many residents have not slept for days due to the noise and disruptions. Many have been shut in by the crowds – a lockdown imposed by the protest itself.

5. Rabbi Reuven Mintz:

   Our hope is that meeting someone who witnessed, firsthand, the atrocities committed under the same swastika and salute will help guide these students towards a life of tolerance and acceptance.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=swastika
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Swastika
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=swastika
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=swastika