Dictionary.com

Bohemian

[ boh-hee-mee-uhn ]
/ boʊˈhi mi ən /

noun

a native or inhabitant of Bohemia.
(usually lowercase) a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices.
the Czech language, especially as spoken in Bohemia.
a Romani.

adjective

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
owl
crow
piranha
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Bohemian

First recorded in 1570–80; Bohemi(a) + -an

OTHER WORDS FROM Bohemian

Bo·he·mi·an·ism, nounpro-Bo·he·mi·an, adjective, nounpseu·do-Bo·he·mi·an, adjective, noun

Words nearby Bohemian

boh, Bo Hai, Bohea, Bohemia, Bohemia-Moravia, Bohemian, Bohemian Brethren, Bohemian Forest, Bohemianism, Bohemond I, Bohlen
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for Bohemian

British Dictionary definitions for Bohemian

Bohemian
/ (bəʊˈhiːmɪən) /

noun

a native or inhabitant of Bohemia, esp of the old kingdom of Bohemia; a Czech
(often not capital) a person, esp an artist or writer, who lives an unconventional life
the Czech language

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Bohemia, its people, or their language
unconventional in appearance, behaviour, etc
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

Cultural definitions for Bohemian

bohemian

A descriptive term for a stereotypical way of life for artists and intellectuals. According to the stereotype (see also stereotype), bohemians live in material poverty because they prefer their art or their learning to lesser goods; they are also unconventional in habits and dress, and sometimes in morals.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.