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• atticism
  atticism

  noun

  the style or idiom of Attic Greek occurring in another dialect or language.
• Atticism
  Atticism

  noun

  the idiom or character of the Attic dialect of Ancient Greek, esp in the Hellenistic period

atticism

American  

[at-uh-siz-uhm] / ˈæt əˌsɪz əm /

noun

(often initial capital letter)

1. the style or idiom of Attic Greek occurring in another dialect or language.

2. attachment to Athens or to the style, customs, etc., of the Athenians.

3. concise and elegant expression, diction, or the like.

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Atticism British  

/ ˈætɪˌsɪzəm /

noun

1. the idiom or character of the Attic dialect of Ancient Greek, esp in the Hellenistic period

2. an elegant, simple, and clear expression

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Other Word Forms

• Atticist
  noun
• atticist
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of atticism

First recorded in 1605–15, atticism is from the Greek word Attikismós a siding with Athens, an Attic expression. See Attic, -ism

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

atticism Atticism

These censures can never be just upon a poet, whose style has always been allowed to be perfectly attick, and of an atticism which made him extremely delightful to the lovers of the Athenian taste.

From The Works of Samuel Johnson, Volume 05 Miscellaneous Pieces by Samuel Johnson

"It is certain," said Phellion, "that the leading article seems to me to be stamped with vigor joined to an atticism which we may seek in vain in the columns of the other public prints."

From The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honoré de Balzac

In prose also the Augustans upheld the refined and chaste work of classical Atticism, an ideal which they derived from the Romans of the preceding generation rather than from teachers like Apollodorus.

From Vergil A Biography by Tenney Frank

We need not accept literally Pliny’s praises of his Atticism, and of the grace and sweetness of his Greek epigrams.

From Roman Society from Nero to Marcus Aurelius by Samuel Dill

Her models are Thucydides, Polybius and Xenophon, and her style exhibits the striving after Atticism characteristic of the period, with the result that the language is highly artificial.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2 "Anjar" to "Apollo" by Various

The strong and sprightly eloquence of this father, if we may trust tradition, drew its support from the vigorous and masculine Atticism of the old comedian.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 04, No. 22, August, 1859 by Various

They have, it seems, a certain Urbanitas, or Atticism, in their Language, of which the common Ears are ever sensible, though only their great Speakers attain to it.

From The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada Part I, Part II by Cadwallader Colden

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