Goethe

American  

[gur-tuh, gœ-tuh] / ˈgɜr tə, ˈgœ tə /

noun

1. Johann Wolfgang von 1749–1832, German poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher.

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Goethe British  

/ ˈɡøːtə /

noun

1. Johann Wolfgang von (joˈhan ˈvɔlfɡaŋ fɔn). 1749–1832, German poet, novelist, and dramatist, who settled in Weimar in 1775. His early works of the Sturm und Drang period include the play Götz von Berlichingen (1773) and the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774). After a journey to Italy (1786–88) his writings, such as the epic play Iphigenie auf Tauris (1787) and the epic idyll Hermann und Dorothea (1797), showed the influence of classicism. Other works include the Wilhelm Meister novels (1796–1829) and his greatest masterpiece Faust (1808; 1832)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Goethean
  adjective
• Goethian
  adjective

Example Sentences

Although Goethe owned the amber specimens, he showed relatively little interest in amber itself beyond its optical properties.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026

The philosophical bent of Palantir came from Karp, who holds a Ph.D. in neoclassical social theory from Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

A remarkable polymath, Goethe himself served as an advisor to Weimar’s Grand Duke, brilliantly balancing political compromises with literature’s highest spiritual callings.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

In Germany, nobody gets citizenship without proving basic proficiency in the language of Nietzsche, Goethe and Steffi Graf.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

Faust, as portrayed by Goethe, was an intellectual who sold his soul to the devil for worldly knowledge, power and pleasure.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall