Athena

American  

[uh-thee-nuh] / əˈθi nə /

noun

1. Also called Pallas Athena.  Also called Pallas.  Also Athene the virgin deity of the ancient Greeks worshiped as the goddess of wisdom, fertility, the useful arts, and prudent warfare. At her birth she sprang forth fully armed from the head of her father, Zeus.

2. a first name.

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Athena British  

/ əˈθiːnɪ, əˈθiːnə /

noun

1. Also called: Pallas Athena.   Pallas.  Roman counterpart: Minerva.  Greek myth a virgin goddess of wisdom, practical skills, and prudent warfare. She was born, fully armed, from the head of Zeus

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Athena Cultural  

1. The Greek and Roman goddess of wisdom. She had an unusual birth, springing fully grown out of the forehead of her father, Zeus. Athena was one of the goddesses angered by the Judgment of Paris, a Trojan, and she therefore helped the Greeks in the ensuing Trojan War (see also Trojan War). Eventually, she became the protector of Odysseus on his journey home.

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Discover More

Athena was the guardian of the city of Athens (see also Athens), which was named in her honor.

Compare meaning

How does athena compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Minerva vs. Athena

Example Sentences

The jewel of the program was the Parthenon, which was part temple to Athena and part strongbox for the tribute that flowed to Athens.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Athena ended up in a frigid crater and tipped over, leaving its solar batteries unable to charge.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Intuitive’s second lander, Athena, went to the moon in early 2025.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

A spokesperson for Pool Academy and CSIA, both run by the Athena Learning Trust, said the schools were "committed to doing everything we can to help our students thrive".

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Greek tragedies with their revenge, suffering, and extreme sorrow are roughly equivalent to dealing with my mother, so an intervention from Zeus or Athena seems a fair ask.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed