Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Athenian

American  
[uh-thee-nee-uhn] / əˈθi ni ən /

adjective

  1. pertaining to Athens, Greece.


noun

  1. a native or citizen of Athens, Greece.

Athenian British  
/ əˈθiːnɪən /

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Athens

"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

adjective

  1. of or relating to Athens

"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

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.

See Examples For:

The gargantuan breakfast burritos at my favorite place to get one, Athenian III in Buena Park, run about $13.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 13, 2026

The Parthenon won’t be built for another 800 years; likewise, Athenian democracy is centuries away.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 15, 2026

In the early days of the Peloponnesian War, 150 Athenian ships stood ready to sail against Sparta.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 10, 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

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training