Greco-Roman

American  

[gree-koh-roh-muhn, grek-oh-] / ˌgri koʊˈroʊ mən, ˌgrɛk oʊ- /

especially British, Graeco-Roman

adjective

1. of or having both Greek and Roman characteristics.

   the Greco-Roman influence.

2. pertaining to or designating a style of the fine arts developed in Rome or the Roman Empire from the middle of the 1st century b.c. to the early 4th century a.d., chiefly characterized by an apparent indebtedness to Greek forms or motifs modified by technological innovation, monumental scale, the combination of symbolic with narrative treatment of subject matter, and an emphasis on the commemorative aspect of a work of art.

---

noun

1. a style of wrestling in which the contestants are forbidden to trip, tackle, and use holds below the waist.

Example Sentences

During Greco-Roman times, Egyptian artists were called upon to inscribe funerary spells on linen mummy bandages.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Greco-Roman wrestler Yaramenko was a member of the Ukrainian national team.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

"This research teaches us about magic rituals in the Greco-Roman period in Egypt," Van Oppen said.

From Science Daily • Nov. 15, 2024

Forty-four-year-old Aliaksandr Kikiniou advanced to the 77-kilogram finals in the Greco-Roman bracket by beating Benji Peak in the semifinals.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2024

His special distinction as a speaker was not to deliver the full- bore, self-consciously Greco-Roman ornamentation of his predecessors.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith