Herculaneum

American  

[hur-kyuh-ley-nee-uhm] / ˌhɜr kyəˈleɪ ni əm /

noun

1. an ancient city in SW Italy, on the Bay of Naples: buried along with Pompeii by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in a.d. 79; partially excavated.

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Herculaneum British  

/ ˌhɜːkjʊˈleɪnɪəm /

noun

1. an ancient city in SW Italy, of marked Greek character, on the S slope of Vesuvius: buried along with Pompeii by an eruption of the volcano (79 _ad ). Excavation has uncovered well preserved streets, houses, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Herculanean
  adjective
• Herculanensian
  adjective

Example Sentences

For a more intimate experience, check out the Getty Villa in Malibu, modeled after the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

Mr. Tuck traces the family names of people who lived in Pompeii and Herculaneum to these and other nearby towns where they had not existed before A.D.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

The other victims of Vesuvius whose remains have been uncovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum have remained relatively statuelike in their anonymity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

The researchers propose that very early on that terrible day, a dilute ash cloud invaded Herculaneum.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2025

In the 1730s and 40s, building work near Naples had accidentally discovered the buried ruins of the first-century Roman towns Herculaneum and Pompeii, in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall