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.

---

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

---

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• Edwardianism noun

Etymology

Origin of Edwardian

1860–65; Edward (VII, I) + -ian

Example Sentences

Sydney had been raised by an eccentric Edwardian publisher and would-be Conservative political thinker, Thomas Bowles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

"In London, you've got a lasagne. You can dig all the way down to prehistory or you've got very recent Victorian and Edwardian archaeology there as well."

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2026

“This Clara is dealing with the constraints of Edwardian London that doesn’t really allow much space for a young woman,” says choreographer and English National Ballet artistic director Aaron S. Watkin.

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

This was a fairly pretty girl, except that she had legs like an Edwardian grand piano.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut