Elizabethan

[ ih-liz-uh-bee-thuhn, -beth-uhn ]

/ ɪˌlɪz əˈbi θən, -ˈbɛθ ən /

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adjective

of or relating to the reign of Elizabeth I, queen of England, or to her times: Elizabethan diplomacy; Elizabethan music.

noting or pertaining to an English Renaissance style of architecture of the reign of Elizabeth I characterized by fantastic sculptured or molded ornament of German or Flemish origin, symmetrical layouts, and an emphasis on domestic architecture.Compare Jacobean (def. 2).

noun

an English person who lived during the Elizabethan period, especially a poet or dramatist.

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Origin of Elizabethan

First recorded in 1810–20; Elizabeth + -an

OTHER WORDS FROM Elizabethan

an·ti-E·liz·a·be·than, adjective, nounhalf-E·liz·a·be·than, adjectivepost-E·liz·a·be·than, adjective, nounpro-E·liz·a·be·than, adjective, noun

pseu·do-E·liz·a·be·than, adjective, noun

Words nearby Elizabethan

elix., elixir, Eliz., Eliza, Elizabeth, Elizabethan, Elizabethan sonnet, Elizabeth City, Elizabeth I, Elizabeth II, Elizabeth of Hungary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Elizabethan in a sentence

His image — the hippie locks and earring, that scruffy Elizabethan beard — is the Mona Lisa meme of literature.
Shakespeare still matters. A new book reminds us why.|Michael Sims|September 9, 2021|Washington Post
The new sequel, Shadow of Night, actually takes Diana back in time to Elizabethan England.
Deborah Harkness’s Book Bag: Five Otherworldly Reads|Deborah Harkness|July 31, 2012|DAILY BEAST
When the Queen of England began her reign in 1953, her countrymen declared a new Elizabethan Age.
Best of Brit Lit|Peter Stothard|July 24, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The Elizabethan pipes were so small that now when they are dug up in Ireland the poor call them 'fairy pipes' from their tininess.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.

The legend that may still be read upon the Corporation mace, of Elizabethan date, is earnest of this old-time amity.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
In the Elizabethan Age men had thrown caution to the winds and lived with their whole bodies, not just with their minds alone.
The Man from Time|Frank Belknap Long
It is in the Elizabethan style, with half-timber frame and sagging tile roof.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
An examination of Elizabethan writings does not conduce to the idea of the term having had a widespread acceptation.
A Cursory History of Swearing|Julian Sharman

British Dictionary definitions for Elizabethan

Elizabethan

/ (ɪˌlɪzəˈbiːθən) /

adjective

of, characteristic of, or relating to England or its culture in the age of Elizabeth I or to the United Kingdom or its culture in the age of Elizabeth II

of, relating to, or designating a style of architecture used in England during the reign of Elizabeth I, characterized by moulded and sculptured ornament based on German and Flemish models

noun

a person who lived in England during the reign of Elizabeth I

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