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Aegis Has Greek and Latin Roots
English borrowed aegis from Latin, but the word ultimately comes from the Greek noun aigís, meaning “goatskin.” In ancient Greek mythology, an aegis was something that offered physical protection. It has been depicted in various ways, including as a magical protective cloak made from the skin of the goat that suckled Zeus as an infant, and as a shield fashioned by Hephaestus that bore the severed head of the Gorgon Medusa. The word first entered English in the 15th century as a noun referring to the shield or breastplate associated with Zeus or Athena. It later took on a more general sense of “protection” and, by the late-19th century, it had acquired the extended senses of “auspices” and “sponsorship.”
Examples of aegis in a Sentence
Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
One thing that does fall under the D.O.E.’s remit, however, is administering the tests and collecting the data for the annual NAEP report, under the aegis of the National Center for Education Statistics.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
Built by the Northwest Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering in Xianyang, under the aegis of Norinco—one of China’s largest military manufacturers—Red Eye has the potential to leave human pilots in the dust.
—Amir Husain, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
These have been earmarked for Canberra under the aegis of its three-year-old AUKUS security pact between the U.S. and the U.K, with an eye on an increasingly assertive China.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aegis
Cite this Entry
“Aegis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aegis. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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aegis
noun
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