Athena

American  

[uh-thee-nuh] / əˈθi nə /

noun

1. Also called Pallas Athena.  Also called Pallas.  Also Athene the virgin deity of the ancient Greeks worshiped as the goddess of wisdom, fertility, the useful arts, and prudent warfare. At her birth she sprang forth fully armed from the head of her father, Zeus.

2. a first name.

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Athena British  

/ əˈθiːnɪ, əˈθiːnə /

noun

1. Also called: Pallas Athena.   Pallas.  Roman counterpart: Minerva.  Greek myth a virgin goddess of wisdom, practical skills, and prudent warfare. She was born, fully armed, from the head of Zeus

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Athena Cultural  

1. The Greek and Roman goddess of wisdom. She had an unusual birth, springing fully grown out of the forehead of her father, Zeus. Athena was one of the goddesses angered by the Judgment of Paris, a Trojan, and she therefore helped the Greeks in the ensuing Trojan War (see also Trojan War). Eventually, she became the protector of Odysseus on his journey home.

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Discover More

Athena was the guardian of the city of Athens (see also Athens), which was named in her honor.

Compare meaning

How does athena compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Minerva vs. Athena

Example Sentences

“I think we can all agree, particularly today, that landing on the moon is extremely hard,” Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said at a press conference after Athena landed.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Intuitive’s second lander, Athena, went to the moon in early 2025.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

Athena Lamnisos from The Eve Appeal said it was "exciting" to see new, more acceptable ways of offering a potentially life-saving test.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

From there, the items are scanned further and, thanks to Athena, the pants and luxe bag go their separate ways.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

Besides, maybe if he spent more time close to the Athena Parthenos, he would eventually soak in its secrets.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan