flag

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈflag How to pronounce flag (audio)
 also  ˈflāg
: any of various monocotyledonous plants with long ensiform leaves: such as
a
: iris
especially : a wild iris

flag

2 of 6

noun (2)

often attributive
1
: a usually rectangular piece of fabric of distinctive design that is used as a symbol (as of a nation), as a signaling device, or as a decoration
2
a
: the tail of some dogs (such as a setter or hound)
also : the long hair fringing a dog's tail
b
: the tail of a deer
3
a
: something used like a flag to signal or attract attention
b
: one of the cross strokes of a musical note less than a quarter note in value
4
: something represented by a flag: such as
a
b
: an admiral functioning in his office of command
c
: nationality
especially : the nationality of registration of a ship or aircraft

flag

3 of 6

verb (1)

flagged; flagging

transitive verb

1
: to signal with or as if with a flag
especially : to signal to stop
flagged the train
often used with down
2
: to mark or identify with or as if with a flag
flagged potential problems in the proposal
3
: to call a penalty on : penalize
a lineman flagged for being offside

flag

4 of 6

verb (2)

flagged; flagging

intransitive verb

1
: to hang loose without stiffness
2
a
: to become unsteady, feeble, or spiritless
b
: to decline in interest, attraction, or value
flagging stock prices

flag

5 of 6

noun (3)

: a hard evenly stratified stone that splits into flat pieces suitable for paving
also : a piece of such stone

flag

6 of 6

verb (3)

flagged; flagging

transitive verb

: to lay (something, such as a pavement) with flags (see flag entry 5)

Examples of flag in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Sponsors of the bills protecting monuments and outlawing rainbow flags also did not respond to requests for comment. Lori Rozsa, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The Fund is backing Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s second flag carrier, which is tasked with expanding the country’s aviation reach and turning it into a regional transport hub. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 8 Mar. 2024 The black and yellow flag is reminiscent of America's prisoners of war and those missing in action (POW/MIA) flag. Camilla Schick, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 The Vice President traded her signature pearls for a gold Tiffany & Co. necklace, and wore an American lapel flag pin. Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 Its name refers to a ubiquitous Dominican lunch plate of beans, rice and meat that (with some creative license) recalls the red, white and blue colors of the national flag. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Others, like the pride flag, would require a unanimous City Council vote. Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2024 The proposal would not prevent school or local government leaders from banning all flags, posters or other displays. Dana Ferguson, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2024 The president — who was sporting a flag pin on his lapel featuring the American and Ukrainian flags in the midst of a fight in Congress over further funding for the war in Ukraine — also sat on the couch with Poehler to reminisce about his guest spot on Parks and Recreation. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
Do high-information surfers need to flag misinformation about who has priority on a wave? Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 Election Misinformation: Since taking control of X, Elon Musk has dismantled the platform’s system for flagging false election content. Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Slok also flagged a tight labor market and sticky wage inflation, alongside manufacturing, services, and rental data trending higher. Carter Johnson, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 Most reservation systems will automatically flag a no-show on a customer’s profile, Yin says. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 29 Feb. 2024 Some users have already flagged issues with the headsets, too, complaining about a lack of comfort and subpar features. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2024 The statement was made in Australia, yet another market looking at pushing a surveillance burden onto tech providers to flag bad behaviors across their user base. Zak Doffman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Deficiencies flagged in paperwork for County Board candidates Three districts could see a face-off between the supervisory incumbent and their opponent. Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Workers who flagged issues couldn’t always be sure how the investigations would be done or what their conclusions would be. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English flagge reed, rush

Noun (2)

probably akin to fag end of cloth — more at fag end

Verb (2)

probably from flag entry 2

Noun (3)

Middle English flagge turf, perhaps from Old Norse flaga slab; akin to Old English flōh chip

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1604, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1615, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flag was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near flag

Cite this Entry

“Flag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flag. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flag

1 of 6 noun
: any of various irises
especially : a wild iris

flag

2 of 6 noun
1
: a piece of cloth with a special design that is used as a symbol (as of a nation) or for signaling
2
: something used like a flag to signal or attract attention

flag

3 of 6 verb
flagged; flagging
: to signal with or as if with a flag
especially : to signal to stop
flag a taxi

flag

4 of 6 verb
flagged; flagging
1
: to be limp : droop
2
: to become weak
his hope flagged

flag

5 of 6 noun
1
: a hard stone that easily splits into flat pieces
2
: a piece of flag used for paving

flag

6 of 6 verb
flagged; flagging
: to pave (as a walk) with flags
Etymology

Noun

Middle English flagge "reed"

Noun

probably akin to fag "end of cloth"

Verb

probably from 2flag

Noun

Middle English flagge "a piece of turf, a flat paving stone"

More from Merriam-Webster on flag

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!