Vexillology is the scholarly study of flags. The term was coined in 1958 by Dr. Whitney Smith of the United States, the author of many books and articles on this subject. It was originally considered a sub-discipline of heraldry, and occasionally is still seen as such; it is also sometimes considered a branch of semiotics. ^* It is formally defined in the FIAV (Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques) Constitution as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their forms and functions, and of scientific theories and principles based on that knowledge."

A person who studies flags is a vexillologist, and by extension, someone who designs or draws flags is occasionally called a vexillographer.

The word vexillology is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum and the suffix –ology meaning "study of". The vexillum was a particular type of flag used by Roman legions during the classical era. Unlike most modern flags which are suspended from a pole or mast along a vertical side, the square vexillum was suspended from a horizontal crossbar along its top side, which was attached to a spear.

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