Weltkriegsgefreiter

German

Etymology

From Weltkrieg +‎ -s- +‎ Gefreiter. Specific use of Adolf Hitler already appeared during the period of his political campaigning, contrasting his low military rank with his claim to Führership. This use was often pejorative (a famous instance being in a White Rose leaflet), though the Nazis occasionally adopted it in the context of their fight against traditional social barriers.

Pronunciation

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Noun

Weltkriegsgefreiter m (adjectival, definite nominative der Weltkriegsgefreite, genitive (des) Weltkriegsgefreiten, plural Weltkriegsgefreite, definite plural die Weltkriegsgefreiten)

1. a Gefreiter (the second-lowest army rank, roughly lance corporal) active in one of the two World Wars

Proper noun

Weltkriegsgefreiter m (proper noun, adjectival, usually definite, definite nominative der Weltkriegsgefreite, definite genitive des Weltkriegsgefreiten)

1. (idiomatic, history slang) Adolf Hitler