Stasi

See also: stasi

English

Etymology

From German Stasi, abbreviation of Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (“Ministry for State Security”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstɑːzi/, /ˈʃtɑːzi/

Proper noun

Stasi

1. (historical) The Ministry for State Security, secret police and intelligence organization of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

Noun

Stasi (plural Stasi)

1. (derogatory) People who engage in covert surveillence or similar activities associated with secret police.
   • 2014 July 3, Daniel Ruth, “Taking a byte out of privacy”, in Danbury News Times‎^[1]:

     The Facebook Stasi then surreptitiously monitored the subscribers' writing to note changes in vocabulary to indicate mood swings.

2. (derogatory) A Nazi (“One who imposes one’s views on others; one who is considered unfairly oppressive or needlessly strict.”)
   • 2015 January 1, James Bloodworth, “Katie Hopkins' views are now considered matters for law enforcement, and it is utterly terrifying”, in Independent‎^[2]:

     All vile and grossly insensitive certainly; but on balance I think I’m more afraid of the Twitter Stasi and their increasingly zealous police enforcers.

   • 2019 March 25, Douglas Patient, “Blonde who claims far-right websites are stealing her photos threatens legal action”, in Daily Star‎^[3]:

     After the image was removed, Mr Harlass shared the image of the couple, writing: "Apparently the Facebook Stasi has removed this wonderful, pure picture."

   • 2020 June 19, David Bernstein, “On Cancel Culture and Civil Liberties”, in The Volokh Conspiracy‎^[4]:

     I suspect the vast majority of us, on all points of the political spectrum, don't want to live in a society where Twitter Stasi are constantly looking for wrongthink to report to one's employer […]

Translations

East German Ministry for State Security

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 史塔西 (shǐtǎxī), 斯塔西 (zh) (Sītǎxī)

• German: Stasi (de) f
• Italian: Stasi
• Japanese: シュタージ
• Marathi: श्टाझी (śṭājhī)

Anagrams

• Satis, Stais, Tassi, Tissa, Tsais, saist, satis, sista, tasis

German

Etymology

From Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (“Ministry for State Security”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃtaːzi/

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

die Stasi f (proper noun, usually definite, definite genitive der Stasi)

1. Stasi

   Was der Staat heute über die Leute weiß, davon konnte die Stasi nur träumen.

   The Stasi could only have dreamt to know as much about people as the government does today.

Derived terms

• Stasifizierung
• Stasimethoden
• Stasi-Staat

Noun

Stasi f (genitive Stasi, plural Stasis)

1. (derogatory) anyone seen as restraining freedom of opinion and speech

   Die Kommentar-Stasi hat meinen Beitrag gelöscht.

   The comment Stasi deleted my post.

2. (derogatory) anyone seen as violating people's private sphere and/or engaged in excessive data collection

   Seit seiner Rente spielt mein Vater die Nachbarschaftsstasi.

   Since his retirement my father passes his time being the Stasi of the neighbourhood.

Further reading

• “Stasi” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Stasi” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Stasi” in Duden online
• Stasi on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

Italian

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Stasi m or f by sense

1. a surname

Etymology 2

Borrowed from German Stasi.

Proper noun

Stasi ?

1. (historical) Stasi (the East German ministry of state security)

Anagrams

• tassi, tassì