Aegean

American  

[ih-jee-uhn] / ɪˈdʒi ən /

adjective

1. pertaining to the Aegean Sea or Aegean Islands.

2. pertaining to or denoting the prehistoric civilization that preceded the historic Hellenic period and flourished on the various islands and nearby regions of the Aegean Sea, as at Crete and Argolis.

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noun

1. the Aegean. Aegean Sea.

Aegean British  

/ iːˈdʒiːən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Aegean Sea or Islands

2. of or relating to the Bronze Age civilization of Greece, Asia Minor, and the Aegean Islands

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Etymology

Origin of Aegean

First recorded in 1510–20; from Latin Aegae(us) or directly from Greek Aigaîos + -an

Example Sentences

On the sloping shoreline of the Greek Aegean island of Milos, a vast construction site has left a gaping wound into the island's trademark volcanic rock.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

In nonfiction, I enjoyed Emily Hauser’s “Penelope’s Bones,” a riveting exploration, through recent archaeological discoveries, of how Bronze Age women of the Aegean actually lived.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

The listing adds, “The custom lacquered kitchen, finished in rich Aegean blue with bronze accents and Calacatta marble, is as functional as it is striking.”

From MarketWatch • Nov. 10, 2025

"These paleogeographic reconstructions underscore the importance of the region for understanding hominin dispersals across the northeastern Aegean during the Pleistocene."

From Science Daily • Oct. 12, 2025

—Cassius Dio In April of 32 BCE, Mark Antony and Cleopatra traveled from Ephesus to the island of Samos in the Aegean Sea.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby