Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Bodleian

American  
[bod-lee-uhn, bod-lee-] / bɒdˈli ən, ˈbɒd li- /

noun

  1. the library of Oxford University, reestablished by Sir Thomas Bodley, 1545–1613, English diplomat and scholar.


adjective

  1. of, relating to, or belonging to this library.

Bodleian British  
/ ˈbɒdlɪ-, bɒdˈliːən /

noun

  1. the principal library of Oxford University: a copyright deposit library

"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

Etymology

Origin of Bodleian

After Sir Thomas Bodley; see -an

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:

It represents just a fraction of the Le Carré archive held at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford, of which the Weston is a part, a collection comprising 1,237 boxes.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 26, 2026

The medal, awarded by Oxford University’s 400-year-old Bodleian Libraries, honors contributions to literature, media or science.

From Seattle Times Nov. 10, 2023

Wilson, whom she married in 1971, recalled a friend telling him that “Katherine Duncan-Jones can never be happy if she is further than a mile from the Bodleian Library.”

From New York Times Nov. 4, 2022

The map is held in the collections of the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

From BBC Aug. 20, 2022

“No. It’s what she gets up to in the Bodleian Library.”

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

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

Start training