Athenian
Americanadjective
noun
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Athenian
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin Athēni(ēnsis) “of Athens” + -an; see -ensis
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.
The Parthenon won’t be built for another 800 years; likewise, Athenian democracy is centuries away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
The Athenian navy, over which Themistocles held sway, had its own democratic turn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
Previously, Athenian military enterprise had depended on a small elite, men wealthy enough to provide horses to serve as cavalry or to equip themselves as hoplites, a type of armored infantry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 8, 2026
Instead, it closely matches Phrygians, a lesser known tragedy written by the Athenian playwright Aeschylus.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 13, 2026
“In Greek it stands for Of The Athenians...or you could read it as the children of Athena. It’s sort of the Athenian motto.”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
