Insignia 1154677 222897588 2008-07-01T17:21:44Z Happy-melon 994084 hatnote {{for|the electronics brand-name|Best Buy}} {{for|the Cruise Ship '''Insignia'''|Oceania Cruises}} {{for|the General Motors car '''Insignia'''|Opel Insignia}} [[Image:Bruce Crandall receiving MOH.jpg|thumb|170px|LtCol. [[Bruce P. Crandall]], U.S. Army receives the [[Medal of Honor]] in 2007 for extraordinary heroism in the Vietnam War (1965).]] '''Insignia''' (the plural of [[Latin]] ''insigne'': emblem, symbol) is a [[symbol]] or [[token]] of personal [[power (sociology)|power]], [[status]] or [[office]], or of an official body of [[government]] or [[jurisdiction]]. Insignia are especially used as an [[emblem]] of a specific or general [[authority]]. Typical examples of insignia are: * [[crown (headgear)|Crowns]] * [[Flag]]s of a country or state * [[coat of arms|Coats of arms]] and [[Heraldry]] * [[Seal (device)|Seal]]s * [[Ensign]]s * [[Roundel]]s * [[Badge]]s * [[Cockade]]s * Other [[national emblem|National Emblems]] * [[Shoulder patch]], or shoulder sleeve insignia (SSI) * [[Military rank]] and [[Military unit|unit]] markings: ** [[British Army officer rank insignia]] ** [[British Army Other Ranks rank insignia]] ** [[RAF officer ranks|British Royal Air Force officer rank insignia]] ** [[RAF other ranks|British Royal Air Force other rank insignia]] ** [[Royal Navy officer rank insignia|British Royal Navy officer rank insignia]] ** [[Royal Navy ratings rank insignia|British Royal Navy ratings rank insignia]] ** [[croatian military ranks|Croatian military ranks insignia]] ** [[U.S. Army officer rank insignia]] ** [[U.S. Army enlisted rank insignia]] ** [[U.S. Navy officer rank insignia]] ** [[United States Navy enlisted rates|U.S. Navy enlisted rate insignia]] ** [[United States Air Force enlisted rank insignia]] ** [[United States Air Force officer rank insignia]] ** [[United States Marine Corps enlisted rank insignia]] ** [[United States Marine Corps officer rank insignia]] ** [[Polish Armed Forces rank insignia]] ** [[Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party|Nazi Party rank insignia]] Official insignia are often protected by law as to allow their use only by people holding a specific office or staff members action on behalf of such a person. Misuse, defacement and destruction of such symbols is considered an offense in many countries. {{Clarifyme|date=March 2008}} [[Category:Symbols]] [[Category:Military insignia]] [[cs:Insignie]] [[de:Insigne]] [[fi:Insignia]] [[hu:Koronázási jelvények]] [[mk:Обележја]] [[nl:Insigne]] [[pl:Insygnia]] [[simple:Insignia]] [[sl:Insignija]] [[sv:Insignier]]