Edwardian

American  

[ed-wawr-dee-uhn, -wahr-] / ɛdˈwɔr di ən, -ˈwɑr- /

adjective

1. of or relating to the reign of Edward VII.

2. reflecting the opulence or self-satisfaction characteristic of this reign.

3. noting or pertaining to the castle architecture of Edward I.

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noun

1. a person who lived during the reign of Edward VII.

Edwardian British  

/ ɛdˈwɔːdɪən /

adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or having the style of life, architecture, dress, etc, current in Britain during the reign of Edward VII

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noun

1. a person who lived during the reign of Edward VII

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Edwardianism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Edwardian

1860–65; Edward (VII, I) + -ian

Example Sentences

The solid, stolid, self-satisfied Edwardian England that had seemed so deserving of his lashes was itself now wounded, and something in Galsworthy shifted accordingly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

There are subtle nods to the Edwardian era this version is set in.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025

In the aftermath of the two world wars, Coleridge-Taylor’s music—like that of other late Victorian and Edwardian composers—was seen as old-fashioned and insufficiently complex.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Inside a wood-panelled annex of an Edwardian building in Cape Town the stricken figure of Hansie Cronje lay crumpled on the floor.

From BBC • Jul. 30, 2025

The Edwardian terraces, net-curtained and seedy, ran straight for half a mile.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan