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Apollonian

American  
[ap-uh-loh-nee-uhn] / ˌæp əˈloʊ ni ən /

adjective

  1. pertaining to the cult of Apollo.

  2. (lowercase) serene, calm, or well-balanced; poised and disciplined.

  3. (lowercase) having the properties of or preferring classic beauty.


Apollonian British  
/ ˌæpəˈləʊnɪən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Apollo or the cult of Apollo

  2. (sometimes not capital) (in the philosophy of Nietzsche) denoting or relating to the set of static qualities that encompass form, reason, harmony, sobriety, etc

  3. (often not capital) harmonious; serene; ordered

"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

Etymology

Origin of Apollonian

1655–65; < Greek apollṓni ( os ) of Apollo + -an

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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.

But Kennedy is also embarrassing himself by putting out photo and video content meant to prove that he, at age 69, is some kind of Apollonian model of physical perfection.

From Salon • Jul. 19, 2023

Where Michelle’s marquise is ruled by an Apollonian temperament, Vetter puts a heavy thumb on the “love” scale.

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2023

And so like that sort of Apollonian clarity.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 17, 2018

But this poem is more of that sort of Apollonian bridling of those impulses right.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 17, 2018

Rumsey closed with an appeal for nurturing the artistic temperament in young and old alike, “to stoke that Apollonian ember in all mortal beings.”

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

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