"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."
Source: tatoeba (4433556)
Ensign
/ˈɛn.sɪn/
Synonyms for "ensign" (129 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (26)
Strong matches (39)
Related words (64)
lieutenant junior gradeliverylong pennantmacemantlemarkingsmedalmerchant flagmortarboardnational flagnaval officernavarchold gloryold school tieoriflammependantpennantpennonpennoncelpetty officer
Show 36 more words
pinrear admiralredred ensignregaliaringroseroyal standardschool ringshamrocksigillographysignsignal flagskipperskull and crossbonessphragisticsstaffstandardstar-spangled bannerstars and stripesstreamerswallowtailswastikatartanthistletietricoloruniformunion flagunion jackvergevexillumvice admiralwandwarrant officerwhite
Noun(7 words)
Adjective(1 words)
revolutionary banners
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: admiral, and blue, armory, badge, badge.
- Sentence evidence is available for ensign, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wiktionary, derived_reverse, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "ensign".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "ensign"
Keep "ensign" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "ensign" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "ensign", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "ensign" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
8 entriesMore specific
3 entriescivil ensignnational ensignstate ensign
Collocations
5 entriescivil ensignensign insigniaensign ranknational ensignnaval ensign
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesTranslations
63 translations across 32 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- vaandrig noun (military officer)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- gizir noun (military officer)
Bulgarian
2 entries- знаме noun (banner)
- флаг noun (banner)
Catalan
2 entries- alferes noun (military officer)
- guardiamarina noun (military officer)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 少尉 noun (military officer)
Danish
1 entries- fenrik noun (military officer)
Dutch
2 entries- vaandel noun (banner)
- vaandrig noun (military officer)
Esperanto
1 entries- ŝipflago noun (banner)
Estonian
3 entries- lipnik noun (military officer)
- lipp noun (banner)
- plagu noun (banner)
Finnish
1 entries- aliluutnantti noun (military officer)
French
2 entries- aspirant noun (military officer)
- pavillon noun (banner)
German
2 entries- Fahne noun (banner)
- Fähnrich noun (military officer)
Greek
3 entries- λάβαρο noun (banner)
- σημαία noun (banner)
- σημαιοφόρος noun (military officer)
Hungarian
1 entries- zászlós noun (military officer)
Italian
4 entries- alfiere noun (military officer)
- baluardo noun (banner)
- cadetto noun (military officer)
- guardiamarina noun (military officer)
Japanese
1 entries- 少慰 noun (military officer)
Kazakh
1 entries- прапорщик noun (military officer)
Korean
1 entries- 소위 noun (military officer)
Lower Sorbian
1 entries- chórgojnik noun (military officer)
Macedonian
2 entries- заставник noun (military officer)
- знаме noun (banner)
Māori
1 entries- haki noun (banner)
Norwegian
2 entries- fane noun (banner)
- fenrik noun (military officer)
Persian
3 entries- درفشدار noun (banner)
- ناوبان دو noun (military officer)
- پرچمدار noun (banner)
Polish
2 entries- bandera noun (banner)
- chorąży noun (military officer)
Portuguese
3 entries- alferes noun (military officer)
- insígnia noun (banner)
- tenente de corveta noun (military officer)
Russian
2 entries- зна́мя noun (banner)
- пра́порщик noun (military officer)
Scots
1 entries- ensenyie noun (banner)
Serbo-Croatian
3 entries- krmena zastava noun (banner)
- zastavnica noun (military officer)
- zastavnik noun (military officer)
Slovene
4 entries- praporščak noun (military officer)
- praporščakinja noun (military officer)
- zastávnica noun (military officer)
- zastávnik noun (military officer)
Spanish
3 entries- alférez noun (military officer)
- enseña noun (banner)
- pabellón noun (banner)
Swedish
2 entries- fana noun (banner)
- fänrik noun (military officer)
Uzbek
1 entries- leytenant noun (military officer)
Sample sentences
10 total sentences available.
And the more we participate in our yearly congresses, the more we associate, and the more the principles of the Green Ensign will penetrate our souls.
Source: tatoeba (4433571)
My favourite Star Trek: Enterprise episode is "Exile" about a telepathic alien's seduction of Ensign Hoshi Sato, a take on Beauty and the Beast.
Source: tatoeba (10572345)
The Ensigns of our Power about we bear; / And every Land pays Tribute to the Fair.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 10 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "ensign"?
Closest matches include admiral, and blue, armory, badge, badge.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "ensign"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.