red flag

See synonyms for red flag on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the symbol or banner of a left-wing revolutionary party.

  2. a danger signal.

  1. something that provokes an angry or hostile reaction: The talk about raising taxes was a red flag to many voters.

  2. Also called powder flag. Nautical. a red burgee, designating in the International Code of Signals the letter “B,” flown by itself to show that a vessel is carrying, loading, or discharging explosives or highly inflammable material.

  3. (initial capital letters) a war game the U.S. Air Force holds several times each year at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to train personnel in air combat.

Origin of red flag

1
First recorded in 1770–80

Other definitions for red-flag (2 of 2)

red-flag
[ red-flag ]

verb (used with object),red-flagged, red-flag·ging.
  1. to mark or draw attention to for a particular purpose: The department has red-flagged the most urgent repair work to be done.

  2. to provoke the attention of; alert; arouse: The animal's refusal to eat red-flagged the keeper that something was wrong.

adjective
  1. of or relating to a red flag.

  2. intended or serving to emphasize, warn, incite, or provoke.

Origin of red-flag

2
First recorded in 1880–85

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use red flag in a sentence

  • All the bamboo clappers, cocoanut shells, tin pans, and red flags that could be found were seized and put into use.

  • Radicals concealed red flags and pistols within their coats.

    The Harris-Ingram Experiment | Charles E. Bolton
  • Then she looked at me, I at her, and again we hung out red flags on our faces.

    Hania | Henryk Sienkiewicz
  • Red flags tell of coming floods; black-striped balls by day, and lamps by night, of fire.

    Fred Markham in Russia | W. H. G. Kingston
  • Back of it were shabby tenements and dingy shops where second-hand goods were sold and where auctioneers hung out their red flags.

    Whispers at Dawn | Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for red flag (1 of 2)

red flag

noun
  1. a symbol of socialism, communism, or revolution

  2. a warning of danger or a signal to stop

British Dictionary definitions for Red Flag (2 of 2)

Red Flag

noun
  1. the Red Flag a socialist song, written by James Connell (1852–1929), Irish political activist, in 1889

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012