Charlemagne

American  

[shahr-luh-meyn, shar-luh-man-y^uh] / ˈʃɑr ləˌmeɪn, ʃar ləˈman jə /

noun

1. Charles the Great, a.d. 742–814, king of the Franks 768–814; as Charles I, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire 800–814.

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Charlemagne British  

/ ˈʃɑːləˌmeɪn /

noun

1. ?742–814 _ad , king of the Franks (768–814) and, as Charles I, Holy Roman Emperor (800–814). He conquered the Lombards (774), the Saxons (772–804), and the Avars (791–799). He instituted many judicial and ecclesiastical reforms, and promoted commerce and agriculture throughout his empire, which extended from the Ebro to the Elbe. Under Alcuin his court at Aachen became the centre of a revival of learning

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Charlemagne Cultural  

1. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire; his name means “Charles the Great.” Charlemagne was king of France in the late eighth and early ninth centuries and was crowned emperor in 800. He is especially remembered for his encouragement of education.

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Throughout the Middle Ages, Charlemagne was considered a model for Christian rulers.

Example Sentences

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Charlemagne

Charlemagne, the king of the Franks, addressed Offa as an equal, calling him brother.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi has won the annual Charlemagne prize for promoting European unity, organisers said Saturday, as they warned that Europe needs to urgently boost its economy.

From Barron's ● Jan. 17, 2026

One of the earliest mentions of the Latin phrase is found in the writings of Alcuin of York, an advisor to Charlemagne.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2024

Management of silver supply went hand-in-hand with other changes introduced by Charlemagne, his son and grandson including changing the size and thickness of coins and marking their name or image on the coins.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 8, 2024

She could keep trusting Mom and Dad, and keep being my whining, chess-playing, crusading Charlemagne.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia