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Glite Dictionary
Baader Meinhof Gang

Baader Meinhof Gang

9.9
A violent left-wing group active in Germany from 1968 to 1977, also called the Red Army Faction
  • proper noun
translation icon : Grupo Baader-Meinhof
  • The Baader Meinhof Gang carried out a series of high-profile attacks across Germany in the 1970s.

Examples

  • The Baader Meinhof Gang was also known as the Red Army Faction.

  • A documentary examines the rise and fall of the Baader Meinhof Gang and its impact on German society.

  • The Baader Meinhof Gang was known for its violent tactics.

  • Many historians study the Baader Meinhof Gang to understand political extremism.

  • A documentary examines the rise and fall of the Baader Meinhof Gang and its impact on German society.

  • The Baader Meinhof Gang carried out a series of high-profile attacks across Germany in the 1970s.

  • Many historians study the Baader Meinhof Gang to understand political extremism.

Synonyms

Red Army Faction
vsBaader Meinhof Gang
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A left-wing group in Germany known for violent attacks to reach political aims

is limited to the earlier 1968 to 1977 period rather than later activity
Baader-Meinhof Gang
vsBaader Meinhof Gang
1 9.9

A violent left-wing group in Germany active from 1968 to 1977

is the nonhyphenated form of that name
RAF
vsBaader Meinhof Gang
  • NSFW
8.1

A terrorist group in Germany active from 1970 to 1998

is the full name used instead of the abbreviation

Surface Forms

Baader Meinhof Gang main

Morphology

Baader + Meinhof + gang

The noun 'gang' signals an organized group engaged in illegal activity, so a B1 learner who knows the words would likely infer this is a group named after people called Baader and Meinhof. However, the surnames carry no lexical meaning and the specific historical/political sense (a particular radical left-wing terrorist organization) cannot be derived without cultural or historical knowledge, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

Baader Meinhof Gang gets its name from two people who helped start the group: Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof. Their last names were used as a short label, so today the name refers to that 'left-wing' violent group active in Germany in the late 1960s and 1970s.