Alexander the Great

American  

noun

1. 356–323 b.c., king of Macedonia 336–323: conqueror of Greek city-states and of the Persian empire from Asia Minor and Egypt to India.

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Alexander the Great British  

noun

1. 356–323 _bc , king of Macedon, who conquered Greece (336), Egypt (331), and the Persian Empire (328), and founded Alexandria

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Alexander the Great Cultural  

1. A ruler of Greece in the fourth century b.c. As a general, he conquered most of the ancient world, extending the civilization of Greece east to India. Alexander is said to have wept because there were no worlds left to conquer. In Alexander's youth, the philosopher Aristotle was his tutor.

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Before beginning his conquests, Alexander allegedly unloosed the Gordian knot by cutting through it. It was believed that the person who unfastened the Gordian knot would rule a vast territory in Asia. Alexander founded the city of Alexandria, which became a great center of learning in Egypt (see also Egypt).

Example Sentences

Inhabited since the time of Alexander the Great, it now has little civilian presence left.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

In recent weeks, he’s been talking to other people about Napoleon and Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, comparing himself to the most consequential Western leaders in history.

From Slate • May 7, 2026

Others claim he has called himself the “most powerful person to ever live,” and privately compares himself to Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

Alexander the Great remains one of history’s most prolific empire-builders.

From National Geographic • Feb. 8, 2024

Alexander the Great stands at the Indus River in what is now Pakistan.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson