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Wessex

American  
[wes-iks] / ˈwɛs ɪks /

noun

  1. (in the Middle Ages) a kingdom, later an earldom, in S England. Winchester.

  2. the fictional setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, principally identifiable with Dorsetshire.


Wessex 1 British  
/ ˈwɛsɪks /

noun

  1. an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in S and SW England that became the most powerful English kingdom by the 10th century a.d

    1. (in Thomas Hardy's works) the southwestern counties of England, esp Dorset

    2. ( as modifier )

      Wessex Poems

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Wessex 2 British  

noun

  1. See Edward

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

"It was, I think, our star find," said Harding of Wessex Archaeology.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026

By the mid-700s, the author writes, only the kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria, Wessex, East Anglia and Kent “functioned as largely autonomous units.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

He defeated Cynewulf, the king of Wessex, at the Battle of Bensington in 779.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Emily Burns will direct the new adaptation of Hay Fever, which is being produced by Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Sea Kings and Wessex helicopters flew over from San Carlos to get the men out of the freezing water.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

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