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Elizabethan

American  
[ih-liz-uh-bee-thuhn, -beth-uhn] / ɪˌlɪz əˈbi θən, -ˈbɛθ ən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the reign of Elizabeth I, queen of England, or to her times.

    Elizabethan diplomacy; Elizabethan music.

  2. noting or pertaining to an English Renaissance style of architecture of the reign of Elizabeth I characterized by fantastic sculptured or molded ornament of German or Flemish origin, symmetrical layouts, and an emphasis on domestic architecture.


noun

  1. an English person who lived during the Elizabethan period, especially a poet or dramatist.

Elizabethan British  
/ ɪˌlɪzəˈbiːθən /

adjective

  1. of, characteristic of, or relating to England or its culture in the age of Elizabeth I or to the United Kingdom or its culture in the age of Elizabeth II

  2. of, relating to, or designating a style of architecture used in England during the reign of Elizabeth I, characterized by moulded and sculptured ornament based on German and Flemish models

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a person who lived in England during the reign of Elizabeth I

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of Elizabethan

First recorded in 1810–20; Elizabeth + -an

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In the series, the Elizabethan manor house is the residence of TV presenter Declan O'Hara, played by Aidan Turner.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Suetonius recorded that Julius Caesar was “somewhat overnice in the care of his person,” and Elizabethan courtiers sported particolored slashed sleeves, but the dandy is a modern, urban phenomenon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

He had written his sister a birthday card in Elizabethan English.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2025

As Elizabethan folk songs replaced Aldous' voice, Francis took a chrysanthemum and held it to Matthew's nose before scattering its petals across the sheepskin rug.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2025

There is no translation for this in classical Latin or Elizabethan English.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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