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# Dictionary of Vexillology: S (Sub-national Flag – Supranational Flag)

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Last modified: 2026-04-25 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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- SUB-NATIONAL FLAG
- SUBSTITUTE (or SUBSTITUTE PENNANT)
- SUBVERTED (or SUBVERTANT)
- SUIT (or SUITE) OF FLAGS
- SUN
- SUNBURST
- SUN CROSS (SUNCROSS, SUN-WHEEL or SUN-WHEEL CROSS
- SUN DISC (or DISK)
- SUN EMBLEM
- SUNDAY ENSIGN
- SUN-IN-SPLENDOUR (SUN-IN-HER-SPLENDOR, SUN-IN-GLORY or SUN-IN-HER-GLORY)
- SUNSET (THE CEREMONY OF)
- SUPERIMPOSED (or SUPERIMPOSED BY)
- SUPPORTER’S FLAG/PENNANT
- SUPPORTERS
- SUPPOSITIOUS FLAG
- SUPRA-NATIONAL (or SUPER-NATIONAL) FLAG

SUB-NATIONAL FLAG
  A generic term for the flag of any territorial division within a sovereign or independent country or within a federated state, that is subordinate to the national flag of that country or federated state – a constituent state, province, county, municipality or similar (see also civic flag, cantonal flag, national flag, flag of the state of and tribal flag).

  Flag of the State of Acre, Brazil; County Flag of Huntingdonshire, UK; Municipal Flag of Góra Świętej Małgorzaty, Poland

  Notes
  a) The flags of the constituent parts of the UK – those of England, Scotland and Wales – although subordinate to the Union Flag are also national flags under the law. Similar situations may, however, exist in other countries, and the applicable country's laws should be consulted to determine the status of such flags (see also union jack).
  b) In the sub-divisions of some countries – such as the Länder of Germany or provinces of Spain – there are variants of the relevant flags for civil and official use – see civil flag and official flag 2) (also ceremonial flag 1) and state service flag).

SUBSTITUTE (or SUBSTITUTE PENNANT)
  Any one of three triangular pennants used in the International Code of Signal Flags (or any one of four in the NATO Code of Signals) to replace the relevant flag or numeral pennant when that letter or number is to be repeated – thus only one set of signal flags need be carried aboard ship – a repeater or repeater pennant – see international code of signal flags (also absence pennant, numeral pennant and signal flag).

  First Substitute to the Third Substitute, ICS, together with a Fourth Substitute making up those in the NATO Signal Code

  Please note that in British RN usage a substitute or repeater was first introduced in Howe’s Code of 1790.

  Substitutes in RN usage 1790–1799 and 1799–1803 (CS), and 1803–1810

SUBVERTED (or SUBVERTANT)
  Alternative heraldic terms for reversed – see reversed 2).

  Example; Flag and Arms of Jevenstedt, Germany (fotw & Wikimedia)

SUIT (or SUITE) OF FLAGS
  1) The ensign, jack and masthead pennant of a commissioned warship (see ensign, jack and masthead pennant 1)).
  2) The phrases that may also be used to describe any group of flags that are customarily flown together.

  Stealth Warship of the Royal Norwegian Navy wearing a Suit of Flags

SUN
  1) In vexillology see disc, star 1) with its following note and sun emblem (also sunburst)
  2) In heraldry see sun-in-splendour (also figured).

  Imperial Standard 1876, Japan; Flag of Sierre, Switzerland; Proposal for the National Flag of Macedonia 1992

SUNBURST
  The term used when a (usually but not invariably) rising sun is shown with its rays – but see radiating 1), sun emblem and sun in splendour (also active, active and inactive, inactive and rising 2)).

  Flag of Lorient, France; Flag of Yelkhotovskoe, North Ossetia–Alania; Flag of Lebowa Homeland, South Africa 1972–1994

SUN CROSS (SUNCROSS, SUN-WHEEL or SUN-WHEEL CROSS)
  The alternative terms for that variation of a Celtic cross which is now considered a symbol of neo-paganism, but which has been, or is being used by Nazi and neo-Nazi movements in Europe, and the USA – a wheel cross or sun wheel cross – see Celtic cross (also arrow cross and swastika).

  Flag of the Nordiska Rikspartiet, Sweden; A flag of the Ku Klux Klan, USA

  Please note that in heraldic practice this type would be called a "cross annuletty" – see annulet.

SUN DISC (or DISK)
  See disc.

  Aboriginal Flag, Australia

SUN EMBLEM
  The term that may be used for a representation of the sun which is stylized rather than pictorial, as on the examples shown below – but see disk, solar sign with its following note and sunburst (also active, active and inactive, beam 1), inactive, rays 1), sun-in-splendour).

  National Flag of Macedonia, 1992–95; Flag of New Mexico, US

SUNDAY ENSIGN
  A term used in the British Royal Navy and some others, to describe an ensign larger than the normal daily size that is flown on ships and at naval establishments on Sundays and/or days of national celebration – a ceremonial ensign or flag (see also ceremonial ensign and holiday colours).

  Sunday Ensign worn aboard a Ship of the INS, on its way to the Easter Rising commemoration in Dublin, 2016 (source)

  Please note that it this is not to be confused with a flag of ceremony (see also indoor flag and garrison flag).

SUN-IN-SPLENDOUR (SUN-IN-HER-SPLENDOR, SUN-IN-GLORY, or SUN-IN-HER-GLORY)
  The alternative heraldic terms for a sun that is shown with projecting rays either straight and wavy in sequence or wholly either, and which often (although not invariably) shows a face – but see active and inactive, sun emblem and sunburst (also figured and mullet).

  Flag of Cooch Behar, India; Flag of Lastovo, Croatia; Flag of Ennetbürgen, Switzerland

SUNSET (THE CEREMONY OF)
  The ceremony of lowering the ensign and jack particularly (but not exclusively) aboard a warship or naval shore establishment at the local time of sunset or at a specified time at the end of a working day – conducting or making sunset or evening colours (see also colours 5) and retreat ceremony).

  Naval Ensign, UK; Naval Ensign, South Africa 1952–1981

SUPERIMPOSED (or SUPERIMPOSED BY)
  1) In vexillology the alternative terms used when one charge is placed in front of or over another.
  2) In heraldry phrases sometimes used in place of the correct English heraldic term surmounted by.

  Scottish/European flag; House flag of DFDS Prinzenlinie, Germany; Flag of Oklahoma, US

SUPPORTER’S FLAG/PENNANT
  1) See sports flag 2).
  2) See political flag.

  A Football Supporters Flag, Croatia; Flag of the Polish Independence Movement Solidarity

SUPPORTERS
  Human, mythological or animal figures traditionally placed either side of a shield in a set of armorial bearings – see also Appendix IV (also armorial bearings, coat of arms, griffin, heraldic beasts).

  National Arms of Jamaica; Flag of the State of Michigan, US; National Arms of Chile

SUPPOSITIOUS FLAG
  The term for a historical flag that is (or may be) actually erroneous, but which is accepted as factual because of repeated usage – a mythical flag (see also attributed flag, mythical flag, putative flag, reconstruction).

  Suppositious Spanish Naval Ensign approximating the 1785 pattern

SUPRA-NATIONAL (or SUPER-NATIONAL) FLAG
  The flag of an organization, some aspects of whose authority and/or influence transcend national sovereignty, as in for example, that of the United Nations or European Union (but see also international flag, geneva convention flag, patchwork flag 1), safe conduct flag.

  Flag of The United Nations; Flag of The Commonwealth of Nations; Flag of The World Bank

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