What does "ensign" mean?
A badge of office, rank, or power.
Ensign
/ˈɛn.sɪn/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A badge of office, rank, or power.
- Grammar: ensign is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: admiral, and blue, armory, badge.
- Useful contrasts: senior officer.
- Usage evidence: "In the depths of our hearts we all experience the Green Ensign; we all feel that it is something more than a mere symbol of a language."
How to use "ensign"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ensign" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ensign" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ensign" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ensign" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ensign" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "admiral" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ensign", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A badge of office, rank, or power.
"The Ensigns of our Power about we bear; / And every Land pays Tribute to the Fair."
- 2 colors flown by a ship to show its nationality wordnet
- 3 The lowest grade of commissioned officer in the United States Navy, junior to a lieutenant junior grade.
"The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy."
- 4 an emblem flown as a symbol of nationality wordnet
- 5 A flag or banner carried by military units; a standard or color/colour.
"Hang up your ensigns, let your drums be still,"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a person who holds a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant junior grade wordnet
- 7 The principal flag or banner flown by a ship (usually at the stern) to indicate nationality.
"But Alcibiades swiftly ran up the Athenian ensign on his flagship and bore down on that part of the Peloponnesian fleet which held the advantage and was pursuing the Athenians."
- 8 Any prominent flag or banner.
"Ten thousand thousand ensigns high advanced."
- 9 A junior commissioned officer in the 18th and 19th centuries whose duty was to carry the unit's ensign. historical
Verb
- 1 To designate as by an ensign. obsolete
"HENRY but ioyn’d the Roses, that ensign’d / Particular families, but this hath ioyn’d / The Rose and Thistle,"
- 2 To distinguish by a mark or ornament.
- 3 To distinguish by an ornament, especially by a crown.
"Any charge which has a crown immediately above or upon it, is said to be ensigned."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A hamlet in Vulcan County, Alberta, Canada.
- 3 A minor city in Gray County, Kansas, United States, named after founder G. L. Ensign.
- 4 A township in Delta County, Michigan, United States.
- 5 The official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mormonism
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
senior officer
Example
""In the depths of our hearts we all experience the Green Ensign; we all feel that it is something more than a mere symbol of a language.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ensign"?
Common synonyms include: admiral, and blue, armory, badge, badge, badge of office.
How do you use "ensign" in a sentence?
"In the depths of our hearts we all experience the Green Ensign; we all feel that it is something more than a mere symbol of a language."
How do you pronounce "ensign"?
Pronounced /ˈɛn.sɪn/.
Etymology
From Middle English ensigne, from Old French enseigne, from Latin īnsignia, nominative plural of īnsigne, meaning marked, distinguished. Doublet of insignia.