Glossary of vexillology
Flag terminology is the nomenclature, or system of terms, used in vexillology, the study of flags, to describe precisely the parts, patterns, and other attributes of flags and their display.
Basic patterns
Flags often inherit traits seen in traditional European heraldry designs, and as a result, patterns often share names.| Name | Illustration | Example | Citation |
| Vertical bisection | Flag of Algeria | ||
| Horizontal bisection | Flag of Indonesia | ||
| Diagonal bisection | Flag of Papua New Guinea | ||
| Diagonal bisection | Flag of Bhutan | ||
| Pale | Flag of Nigeria | ||
| Vertical tricolor | Flag of France | ||
| Fess | Flag of Austria | ||
| Horizontal tricolor | Flag of the Netherlands | ||
| Bend | Flag of Trinidad and Tobago | ||
| Bend sinister | Flag of the Republic of the Congo | ||
| Side | Flag of Pakistan | - | |
| Side sinister | Flag of the first three Saudi states, 1744-1913 | ||
| Chief | Flag of New Brunswick | ||
| Base | Flag of Rwanda | ||
| Quadrisection | Flag of Panama | ||
| Diagonal quadrisection | Flag of Jamaica | ||
| Greek (Hellenic) cross | Flag of Switzerland | ||
| Symmetric cross | Flag of England | ||
| Nordic cross | Flag of Sweden | ||
| Saltire | Flag of Scotland | ||
| Canton | Flag of Taiwan | ||
| Border | Flag of Montenegro | ||
| Bordure | Flag of Maldives | ||
| Pile | Flag of the Czech Republic | ||
| Pile throughout | Flag of Eritrea | ||
| Chevron | Flag of NAVA | ||
| Pall | Flag of South Africa | ||
| Arrowhead | Flag of Guyana | ||
| Gusset | Flag of Jubaland | ||
| Stripes | Flag of Catalonia |