: any of various monocotyledonous plants with long ensiform leaves: such as
a
: iris
especially
: a wild iris
b
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
: flagship
b
: an admiral functioning in his office of command
c
: nationality
especially
: the nationality of registration of a ship or aircraft
flagged; flagging
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
flagged; flagging
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
: a hard evenly stratified stone that splits into flat pieces suitable for paving
also
: a piece of such stone
Synonyms
Examples of flag in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Iranian state media reported that the MSC Aries ship, which carries a Portuguese flag, was taken into Iranian waters.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
The joke took on a life of its own with the creation of flags, passports, and fake currency, and is still talked about today.
—Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
Woodland’s shot on the 140-yard sixth hole landed 30 feet long and to the right of the flag.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The university lowered its flags and released a statement on Izatt's death.
—Noah Osborne, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
Seefried, 54 a drywall installer from Maryland, was memorialized carrying a Confederate flag in one of the most indelible photographs taken on Jan. 6 — parading with a symbol of the proslavery Civil War rebels through the halls of the U.S. Capitol.
—Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Or forcing a Jewish teacher at a public school in Queens to flee her classroom for safety as hundreds of teenagers rioted through the school, some waving Palestinian flags.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
One of the handful of Gen Zers in attendance was 15-year-old Mian, who wore a plaid scarf sewn with Cambodian flag patches.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Apr. 2024
At the 2024 Six Nations Championship, on-field doctors were flagged when a player’s mouthguard registered an acceleration above 70 g’s and 4,500 radians per second squared (rad/s2).
—Jeffrey Tomik, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
There's a simple reason Kate Middleton's cancer announcement video was flagged with an editor’s note on Getty Images.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission flagged its own arrest warrants for Obaid and Mahony to Interpol in early 2020.
—Hugo Miller, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024
Residents then flagged down first responders about another attack on the same street, Hanley said.
—Kathleen Foody, arkansasonline.com, 29 Mar. 2024
Earlier this month, a gambling watchdog company called U.S. Integrity flagged a college basketball game between Temple University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham for suspicious betting activity; Sports Illustrated reported that the company had been monitoring Temple for a while.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
The Dali was flagged in Singapore, which has one of the best safety records of any country where ships are based.
—Josh Funk, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
The Pittsfield law flagged the young game as a nuisance that needed regulating: banning people from playing baseball (and other ball games) within 80 yards of the new town meeting house, to protect the building’s windows.
—Frederic J. Frommer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
Just last month, an anonymous donor gave Scheller a large Nazi flag that had belonged to his uncle and been in his possession for at least 50 years.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024
Iranian state media reported that the MSC Aries ship, which carries a Portuguese flag, was taken into Iranian waters.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
The joke took on a life of its own with the creation of flags, passports, and fake currency, and is still talked about today.
—Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
Woodland’s shot on the 140-yard sixth hole landed 30 feet long and to the right of the flag.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The university lowered its flags and released a statement on Izatt's death.
—Noah Osborne, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024
Seefried, 54 a drywall installer from Maryland, was memorialized carrying a Confederate flag in one of the most indelible photographs taken on Jan. 6 — parading with a symbol of the proslavery Civil War rebels through the halls of the U.S. Capitol.
—Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Or forcing a Jewish teacher at a public school in Queens to flee her classroom for safety as hundreds of teenagers rioted through the school, some waving Palestinian flags.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
One of the handful of Gen Zers in attendance was 15-year-old Mian, who wore a plaid scarf sewn with Cambodian flag patches.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Verb
According to new details filed in a probable cause affidavit, a resident flagged down a nearby Indiana State Police Trooper about 6:20 p.m. Tuesday to report the shooting that occurred in the 1300 block of Kappes Street.
—Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Apr. 2024
At the 2024 Six Nations Championship, on-field doctors were flagged when a player’s mouthguard registered an acceleration above 70 g’s and 4,500 radians per second squared (rad/s2).
—Jeffrey Tomik, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
There's a simple reason Kate Middleton's cancer announcement video was flagged with an editor’s note on Getty Images.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission flagged its own arrest warrants for Obaid and Mahony to Interpol in early 2020.
—Hugo Miller, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024
Residents then flagged down first responders about another attack on the same street, Hanley said.
—Kathleen Foody, arkansasonline.com, 29 Mar. 2024
Earlier this month, a gambling watchdog company called U.S. Integrity flagged a college basketball game between Temple University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham for suspicious betting activity; Sports Illustrated reported that the company had been monitoring Temple for a while.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
The Dali was flagged in Singapore, which has one of the best safety records of any country where ships are based.
—Josh Funk, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
The Pittsfield law flagged the young game as a nuisance that needed regulating: banning people from playing baseball (and other ball games) within 80 yards of the new town meeting house, to protect the building’s windows.
—Frederic J. Frommer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near flag
Cite this Entry
“Flag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flag. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
flag
1 of 6 noun
: any of various irises
especially
: a wild iris
flag
2 of 6 noun1
: 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
5 of 6 noun1
: 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"
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