anti-nazi
Meaning
Opposed to or directed against Nazis or Nazism.
A person who is opposed to Nazis or Nazism.
Structure
Usage
The anti-nazi resistance fighters distributed clandestine newspapers.
Her writings from the 1930s express a firmly anti-nazi viewpoint.
The rally was organized by a coalition of anti-nazi groups.
Etymology
The term is a modern English compound formed in the mid-20th century. The prefix "anti-", of Greek origin via Latin, carries its core meaning of opposition. It is attached to "Nazi", the abbreviated form of the German "Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei" (National Socialist German Workers' Party). The compound's logic is transparently oppositional, directly combining the concept of being "against" with the specific political ideology and its adherents. It emerged historically in the context of resistance movements during World War II and the ongoing ideological rejection of fascist doctrines.
Analysis
- anti: From Greek via Latin, meaning "against, opposite". - nazi: A shortening of the German "Nationalsozialist", functioning as the core noun to which opposition is directed.