Juvenal

American  

[joo-vuh-nl] / ˈdʒu və nl /

noun

1. Decimus Junius Juvenalis, a.d. c60–140, Roman poet.

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Juvenal ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒuːvɪnəl /

noun

1. Latin name Decimus Junius Juvenalis. ?60–?140 _ad , Roman satirist. In his 16 verse satires, he denounced the vices of imperial Rome

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juvenal ² British  

/ ˈdʒuːvɪnəl /

adjective

1. ornithol a variant spelling (esp US) of juvenile

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Other Word Forms

• Juvenalian adjective

Example Sentences

Juvenal was a satirist, she says, not an objective reporter; he may have been wryly speculating.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Roman poet Juvenal coined the phrase “bread and circuses” nearly 2,000 years ago for the extravagant entertainment the Roman Empire used to distract attention from imperial policies that caused widespread discontent.

From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024

Dairo Juvenal Mucutuy, another uncle, told local media that one of kids said he wanted to start walking.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 11, 2023

The Roman poet Juvenal asked: “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”

From Washington Post • May 19, 2022

Fry, William H., his use of Juvenal, 23.

From Caricature and Other Comic Art in all Times and many Lands. by Parton, James