Seleucid

American  

[si-loo-sid] / sɪˈlu sɪd /

noun

Seleucidae plural

1. a member of a Macedonian dynasty, 312–64 b.c., that ruled an empire that included much of Asia Minor, Syria, Persia, Bactria, and Babylonia.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Seleucids or their dynasty.

Seleucid British  

/ sɪˈluːsɪdən, sɪˈluːsɪd /

noun

1. a member of a royal dynasty (312–64 _bc ) that at the zenith of its power ruled over an area extending from Thrace to India

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or supporting the Seleucids or their dynasty

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Seleucidan
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Seleucidae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Seleucid

1850–55; < New Latin Seleucidēs < Greek Seleukídēs “offspring of Seleucus ( def. ) ”; see -id ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Seleucid Seleucidae

The festival celebrates the victory of the Jewish Maccabees against the Greek-led Seleucid Empire, which sought to eradicate Judaism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025

Hanukkah itself celebrates an ancient Jewish victory over the Seleucid Empire, which sought to impose Hellenistic culture and forced assimilation in Judea.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2024

In 175 B.C. the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes came into power and tried to force Judeans to assimilate.

From National Geographic ● Dec. 7, 2023

Nevertheless, the Seleucid kingdom held on until its remnants were defeated in 63 BCE by Pompey the Great of Rome, one-time ally and subsequent enemy of Julius Caesar.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020

According to one source, he also pivoted north in time to repulse a Seleucid counterattack against Egypt.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

With all their might, the Ptolemies in Egypt and the Seleucidae in Syria hellenized the countries subject to their rule.

From Jewish History : an essay in the philosophy of history by Dubnow, S. M. (Simon Markovich)

Nominally the Seleucidae still continued to possess the suzerainty.

From Prolegomena by Wellhausen, Julius

I suppose Alroy to have entered one of the deserted capitals of the Seleucidae.

From Alroy The Prince Of The Captivity by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield

The two houses of the Seleucidae and Arsacidae were thus already allied to some extent.

From The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 6. (of 7): Parthia The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations. by Rawlinson, George

In Bactria the Greek satrap took the lead, and the Bactrian kingdom was, at any rate at its commencement, as thoroughly Greek as that of the Seleucidae.

From The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 6. (of 7): Parthia The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations. by Rawlinson, George