Ciceronian
Americanadjective
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of or relating to Cicero or his writings.
the Ciceronian orations.
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in the style of Cicero: characterized by melodious language, clarity, and forcefulness of presentation.
Ciceronian invective.
noun
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a person who is an expert on or specializes in the study of the works of Cicero.
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a person who admires or imitates the style of Cicero.
adjective
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of or resembling Cicero or his rhetorical style; eloquent
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(of literary style) characterized by the use of antithesis and long periods
Other Word Forms
- pseudo-Ciceronian adjective
Etymology
Origin of Ciceronian
First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin Cicerōniānus, equivalent to Cicerōn- (stem of Cicerō ) Cicero + -iānus -ian
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.
Ogilvie would take to the stage in a toga, orating for three hours in a formal Ciceronian style later adopted by senators and heads of state.
From New York Times • Feb. 10, 2021
That quote encapsulates Musk’s boundless ambition, as well as the Ciceronian structure of his sentences, which tend to chase so many ideas at once that they lose sight of their own predicates.
From Slate • May 21, 2015
“It’s different from the kind of Ciceronian sentences that are my default mode,” said Dr. Cahn, who was a speechwriter for Robert F. Kennedy and later pioneered a form of volunteerism called timebanking.
From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2015
When they did so, without looking down, the President grabbed a glass of water standing at his elbow, took a hasty gulp, then drove home his point with an additional turn of Ciceronian rhetoric.
From Time Magazine Archive
Whereas Jackson tended toward a more volatile and pulpit-thumping style reminiscent of an itinerant Presbyterian minister in the revivalistic mode, Smith preferred the more measured cadences of the South Carolina aristocrat steeped in Ciceronian formalities.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
