Stradivarius

American  

[strad-uh-vair-ee-uhs] / ˌstræd əˈvɛər i əs /

noun

1. a violin or other instrument made by Stradivari or his family.

2. Stradivari, Antonio.

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Stradivarius British  

/ ˌstrædɪˈvɛərɪəs /

noun

1. Often (informal) shortened to: Strad.  any of a number of violins manufactured by Antonio Stradivari or his family

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Stradivarius Cultural  

1. A kind of violin made by the Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Those that still survive are considered the finest violins in existence.

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Etymology

Origin of Stradivarius

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

It now houses approximately 178 million items, from ancient clay tablets to Stradivarius violins, from the Gutenberg Bible to ever-expanding digital records.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

In his debut novel, Slocum introduces readers to Ray McMillan, a rising star in the classical music world whose priceless family Stradivarius is stolen before one of the world’s biggest music competitions.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2023

“It’s like leaving a Stradivarius in the rain!”

From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2022

Then he received a legal letter last July from clothing brand Stradivarius, also owned by Inditex, saying it was too similar to its STR Teen line.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2022

Better: Johnny found that the old violin hidden in a trunk in his attic wasn’t a real Stradivarius.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Related Words

• fiddle