aegis

noun ae·gis \ ˈē-jəs also ˈā- \

variants: or less commonly egis

|Updated on: 30 May 2018

Examples: aegis in a Sentence

Editor's Note: aegis Has Greek and Latin Roots

Definition of aegis

1 : a shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty that was associated with Zeus and Athena

2 a : protection

under the aegis of the Constitution

b : controlling or conditioning (see ²condition 5a) influence

passed new laws under the aegis of national security

3 a : auspices, sponsorship

under the aegis of the museum

b : control or guidance especially by an individual, group, or system

under the aegis of the government

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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 of aegis from the Web

Foreigners are forbidden from traveling without guides, who operate under the aegis of the government.

— steph cha, latimes.com, "A peek inside the real North Korea — sort of — in 'See You Again in Pyongyang'," 25 May 2018
Protests led to the creation in 2016 of MACCIH, a CICIG-like commission with weaker powers, under the aegis of the Organisation of American States.

— The Economist, "The threat to Central America’s prosecutors," 10 May 2018
Under the aegis of novelist and screenwriter David Nicholls, each installment takes on a different style and tone, too.

— sonia saraiya, HWD, "Review: Benedict Cumberbatch Shines as Drug-Addled Aristocrat Patrick Melrose," 9 May 2018
Under the society’s aegis, Mr. Morton preached to South Asian immigrants on the streets of Jackson Heights, Queens.

— james taranto, WSJ, "The Making—and Unmaking—of a Jihadist," 4 May 2018
And the only way for the U.S. to have any leverage at the table and return the process to the original aegis of the United Nations, rather than leave it to Moscow and Tehran, is for the president to reverse his pledge on withdrawing troops.

— trudy rubin, Philly.com, "Trump tweet on missile strike underscores the incoherence of his Syria policy | Trudy Rubin," 11 Apr. 2018
Under Netanyahu’s aegis, the ever-controversial settlements in the West Bank — broadly unpopular among American Jews, especially Reformers — have grown.

— abraham riesman, Daily Intelligencer, "Can Rabbi Rick Jacobs Save Liberal Zionism in the Age of Netanyahu?," 9 Apr. 2018
Under the aegis of Pueblo Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders, a transnational advocacy group, the migrants moved north en masse — on foot, hitchhiking and on the tops of trains.

— kirk semple, New York Times, "As Migrant Caravan Splinters, Trump Takes Credit and Mexico Scoffs," 5 Apr. 2018
Under his aegis the Marlins won their first World Series in 1997.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "Often underappreciated, Huizenga’s legacy in South Florida sports is indelible | Miami Herald," 23 Mar. 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.

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."

Origin and Etymology of aegis

borrowed from Latin, borrowed from Greek aigís "goatskin, mantle of Zeus," derivative of aig-, aíx "goat"; akin to Armenian aic "goat" (perhaps going back to Indo-European *h₂eiǵ-ih₂-), and perhaps to Avestan izaēna "of leather"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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