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.
Instead, it closely matches Phrygians, a lesser known tragedy written by the Athenian playwright Aeschylus.
From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2026
The frigate Kimon is named after a 5th century BCE Athenian admiral, who was the son of the victorious general at the Battle of Marathon, Miltiadis.
From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026
The warship's welcoming ceremony outside the naval base of Salamis included a copy of an ancient Athenian trireme and the Georgios Averof, a historic cruiser that fought in the Balkan Wars.
From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026
If Pericles’ funeral oration is a landmark of democratic virtue, the amoral facts of pure force become explicit in the “Melian dialogue” following the Athenian conquest of the neutral island of Melos in 415 B.C.:
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
No wonder the idea of learning how to talk round a large mass of people was something that Athenian aristocrats—traditionally *So named, supposedly, because it met on a big rock above Athens.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
