Achebe

American

[ah-chey-bey] / ɑˈtʃeɪ beɪ /

noun

Chinua 1930–2013, Nigerian novelist.

Achebe British

/ əˈtʃeɪbɪ /

noun

Chinua. 1930–2013, Nigerian novelist. His works include Things Fall Apart (1958), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987)

"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.

Trouble, to paraphrase Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, will find them too.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2025

These essays by the acclaimed African novelist and post-colonial theorist include pieces on important contemporaries including Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka, but also delves into the links between language and identity.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

Her work, including plays like Anowa, have been read in schools across West Africa, along with works of other greats like Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe.

From BBC • May 31, 2023

Read from the past: Chinua Achebe changed African literature in 1958 with “Things Fall Apart,” a book that defines modern storytelling.

From New York Times • May 24, 2023

After the lights dimmed on Dr. Achebe, the group was ushered out of the theater directly into a large elevator.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023