Areopagus

[ ar-ee-op-uh-guh s ]

/ ˌær iˈɒp ə gəs /

noun

a hill in Athens, Greece, W of the Acropolis.

Greek History. the council that met on this hill, originally having wide public functions but later becoming a purely judicial body.

any high tribunal.

Origin of Areopagus

< Latin < Greek Áreios págos hill of Ares

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for areopagus

He also presided over the primitive council of the state, which was identical with the council of the Areopagus.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 5|Various
Another is in the wall of a cottage, and is relative to a member of the Areopagus, who erected a statue to his wife.
Ruins of Ancient Cities (Vol. I of II)|Charles Bucke
Here the ancient court of the Areopagus, composed of the most eminent of the Athenians, held its sessions.
The Old World and Its Ways|William Jennings Bryan
In Athens on the Areopagus there is to this day a relic of antiquity with a mud roof.
Ten Books on Architecture|Vitruvius

The Acropolis, with its splendid temples, was on Paul's right and in full view as he preached on the Areopagus.
The Bible Story|Rev. Newton Marshall Hall

British Dictionary definitions for areopagus

Areopagus

/ (ˌærɪˈɒpəɡəs) /

noun

the hill to the northwest of the Acropolis in Athens
(in ancient Athens) the judicial council whose members (Areopagites) met on this hill

literary any high court

Word Origin for Areopagus

via Latin from Greek Areiopagus, contracted from Areios pagos, hill of Ares

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

Word Origin and History for areopagus

Areopagus

1640s, Greek, Areios pagos "the hill of Ares," west of the Acropolis in Athens, where the highest judicial court sat; second element from pagos "rocky hill." Sense extended to "any important tribunal."