Insignia

How to spell insignia

8 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce insignia

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does insignia mean?

1. nounBadges, emblems, or distinguishing marks that indicate rank, office, or membership of an organisation.

Insignia in a sentence

• The officer's uniform displayed the regimental insignia on each shoulder.

• The company logo and insignia appeared on every delivery van.

Where does insignia come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes straight from the Latin insignia, which is the plural of insigne, a noun formed from the adjective insignis meaning 'distinguished' or 'marked out'. That adjective in turn was built from in- (here acting as an intensifier) and signum, the ordinary Latin word for 'a sign, mark, or token', the same root that gives us 'sign', 'signal', and 'signature'. The literal idea was something marked upon a thing to set it apart, which is exactly how a badge of rank or office works today. English took it over in the early seventeenth century to mean the emblems, badges, or marks that show a person's rank, office, or membership. Because it began life as a Latin plural, 'insignia' is often treated as a plural noun in English, while the singular 'insigne' is rarely used; that Latin plural origin is also why the word ends in the slightly unexpected -ia rather than a simple -s.

How the word is built

• in- (intensive: upon, in)
• sign (from signum: a mark or token)
• -ia (Latin neuter plural ending)