Definition of AEGIS

Aegis Has Greek and Latin Roots

We borrowed "aegis" from Latin, but the word ultimately derives from the Greek noun aigis, which means "goatskin." In ancient Greek mythology, an aegis was something that offered physical protection. In some stories, it was the thundercloud where Zeus kept the thunderbolts he used as weapons. In others, the aegis was a magical protective cloak made from the skin of the goat that had suckled Zeus as an infant. The word first entered English in the 15th century as a noun meaning "shield" or "protection," and by the 20th century it had acquired the extended senses of "auspices" or "sponsorship."

Examples of aegis in a Sentence

having no claim to the land under the aegis of the law, the cattle baron decided to claim it by force a medical study that was questioned by many because it was done under the aegis of a major pharmaceutical company

Recent Examples on the Web Under the aegis of the All India Muslim personal law board (AIMPLB), BMAC built up a community movement against the temple agitation spearheaded by right-wing Hindu organisations, pursuing the legal battle. — Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, "VHP, Modi, Narasimha Rao’s roles in Ayodhya land title case," 9 Nov. 2019 The show falls under the aegis of mega-producer Greg Berlanti, whose deft touch overseeing the DC-CW-Warner Bros. portfolio has been impressive in its scope, and notable for its ambitious, tender-loving approach to the material. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Batwoman' and 'Nancy Drew' strike familiar notes on CW," 4 Oct. 2019 Taylor performed with the Marin Shakespeare Company and wrote a one-act autobiographical play under its aegis. — New York Times, "Running to Put San Quentin Behind Him," 8 Aug. 2019 However chaotic the current situation, at least Albania’s courts, under the aegis of the European Commission, are being cleaned up a bit. — The Economist, "Albania is a mess," 28 June 2019 The keynote was a sort of inside-out narcissism: artists’ self-absorption as a publicly engulfing phenomenon, under the godlike aegis of Harald Szeemann. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "Harald Szeemann’s Revolutionary Curating," 15 July 2019 Under the aegis of Premise, and paid for from America’s foreign-aid budget, the Zika Citizen Network has recruited and deployed 10,000 people in three cities: Cali, Cúcuta and Santa Marta. — The Economist, "Armed with smartphones, Colombians are taking on the local mozzies," 4 July 2019 Of course, the president either forgot about or was not aware of the Voice of America and other broadcasters that operate under the aegis of the US Agency for Global Media. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Talk amongst yourselves: 2018’s most-commented stories on Ars," 24 Dec. 2018 Commuter-rail projects are outside Byford’s ambit, but the M.T.A.’s ineptitude, or worse, on large projects saps the credibility of everyone working under its aegis. — William Finnegan, The New Yorker, "Can Andy Byford Save the Subways?," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aegis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.