Augustan

[ aw-guhs-tuhn, uh-guhs- ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, or to the age (Augustan Age ) in which he flourished, which marked the golden age of Latin literature.

  2. of or relating to the neoclassic period, especially of 18th-century English literature.

noun
  1. an author in an Augustan age.

Origin of Augustan

1
From the Latin word Augustānus, dating back to 1695–1705. See Augustus, -an

Other words from Augustan

  • post-Au·gus·tan, adjective
  • pre-Au·gus·tan, adjective

Words Nearby Augustan

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Augustan in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Augustan

Augustan

/ (ɔːˈɡʌstən) /


adjective
  1. characteristic of, denoting, or relating to the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar (63 bc –14 ad), his period, or the poets, notably Virgil, Horace, and Ovid, writing during his reign

  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of any literary period noted for refinement and classicism, esp the late 17th century in France (the period of the dramatists Corneille, Racine, and Molière) or the 18th century in England (the period of Swift, Pope, and Johnson, much influenced by Dryden)

noun
  1. an author in an Augustan Age

  2. a student of or specialist in Augustan literature

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