Parthenon

American  

[pahr-thuh-non, -nuhn] / ˈpɑr θəˌnɒn, -nən /

noun

1. the temple of Athena Parthenos on the Acropolis at Athens, completed c438 b.c. by Ictinus and Callicrates and decorated by Phidias: regarded as the finest Doric temple.

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Parthenon British  

/ -nən, ˈpɑːθəˌnɒn /

noun

1. the temple on the Acropolis in Athens built in the 5th century _bc and regarded as the finest example of the Greek Doric order

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Parthenon Cultural  

1. The central building on the Acropolis in Athens (see also Athens), now partly in ruins. Built in ancient times as a temple, it served as a model for much of Greek and Roman architecture.

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Compare meaning

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

• acropolis vs. Parthenon

Example Sentences

David Stuttard puts this episode to good effect in “Hubris: Pericles, the Parthenon, and the Invention of Athens,” the third of his popular, though judiciously researched, histories of Athens during the fifth century B.C.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Attendees will enjoy a drinks reception and dinner seated amid the museum's artefacts -- including in the Duveen Gallery which houses the disputed Parthenon Marbles -- with a silent auction running through the evening.

From Barron's • Oct. 18, 2025

Borglum believed the American political system was the apotheosis of human civilization, and he wanted his sculpture to stand alongside the Parthenon and pyramids as testaments to grand civilizations and cultures.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2025

During a lull in heavy rain late Friday, a torchbearer lit a cauldron in front of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple, on the citadel that dominates the Athens skyline and is Greece’s top tourist draw.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2024

Milton’s pillars were the Parthenon and the Supreme Court Building; they were the Herakles of myth as well as the Hercules of Hollywood movies.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides