Spartan
Americanadjective
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of or relating to Sparta or its citizens
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(sometimes not capital) very strict or austere
a Spartan upbringing
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(sometimes not capital) possessing courage and resolve
noun
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a citizen of Sparta
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(sometimes not capital) a disciplined or brave person
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a Canadian variety of eating apple
Synonym Usage
See austere.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Spartan
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin Spartānus, equivalent to Spart ( a ) Sparta (< Doric Greek Spártā ) + -ānus -an
Explanation
A spartan existence is kind of like being a monk. Your room is bare, you live simply and eat sparingly, and your sheets are probably scratchy. In ancient Greece, there were two great city states: Athens and Sparta. Athens had the artists, the good food, the great parties. Sparta had the warriors — the guys who went to bed early and drilled all day. They lived in bare rooms and didn’t get sick days or time off. A spartan life is a life of discipline and self-denial. Some people like it like that. Go figure.
Vocabulary lists containing spartan
100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
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'Tis A Gift To Be Simple: Words For National Simplicity Day
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Prisoner B-3087
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The tale of Athenian overreach is better known today than its Spartan counterpart, largely because Thucydides, one of antiquity’s finest historians, captured it in his account of the Peloponnesian War, which began in 431 B.C.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
The Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division side have played more than 60 games across all competitions, with 11 of those coming between 4 April and 4 May.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Markets are reflecting “mounting hopes of a peace deal,” Peter Cardillo of Spartan Capital says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
The question was about the student section’s harassment of former Spartan Xavier Booker, which seemed like a legitimate query considering Booker had a terrible game.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
He usually does missionary work in other countries during the summer, but in May he twisted his ankle during a Spartan Race, so he’s keeping busy teaching us chemistry.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
