**Vexillology** is the scholarly study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags. The word was coined by the American scholar Whitney Smith in 1957 from Latin *vexillum*, a Roman cavalry standard, and the Greek suffix *-logia*. Vexillology encompasses the design, manufacture, protocol and cultural meaning of flags, and is organised internationally through the Federation internationale des associations vexillologiques (FIAV).
**Example**: The North American Vexillological Association (NAVA), founded in 1967, promotes the vexillology of the Americas and publishes the journal *Raven*.
**See also**: [vexilloid](/glossary/vexilloid/), [vexillographic](/glossary/vexillographic/), [fiav](/glossary/fiav/), [flag-day](/glossary/flag-day/)