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.

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

• Minerva vs. Athena

Example Sentences

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Athena

For similar reasons, “The Odyssey” is very much a star-laden production, including in smaller roles Jon Bernthal as Sparta’s King Menelaus, Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Zendaya as the goddess Athena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Macquarie said the ECSP, and specifically volumes to feed the Athena gas plant, had increasingly become dependent on exploration success.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

"It would oxygenate the market," says Stacy Mitchell is co-executive director of the US based non-profit Institute for Local Self-Reliance, which is part of the Athena coalition fighting to change the way Amazon operates.

From BBC ● May 17, 2026

Intuitive Machines first made headlines sending two lunar landers to the moon, Odysseus and Athena.

From Barron's ● May 14, 2026

Percy stared at the Athena Parthenos, waiting for it to strike him down.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan