Hopewell

¹ American  

[hohp-wel, -wuhl] / ˈhoʊp wɛl, -wəl /

noun

1. a city in E Virginia, on the James River.

---

Hopewell ² American  

[hohp-wel, -wuhl] / ˈhoʊp wɛl, -wəl /

Also Hopewellian

adjective

Archaeology.

1. of or relating to an advanced mound-building and agricultural Amerindian culture 100 b.c.–a.d. 400, centered in Ohio and Illinois and characterized by geometric earthworks, many large conical or dome-shaped burial mounds, corded and stamped pottery, ornamental knives and tobacco pipes, and the extensive trading of raw materials and artifacts.

---

Etymology

Origin of Hopewell

After Cloud Hopewell, owner (circa 1890) of a farm in Ross Co., Ohio, on which tumuli characterizing the culture were excavated

Example Sentences

"English is a colonial language, not a measure of intelligence, capability, or national progress," wrote Hopewell Chin'ono, a Zimbabwean journalist.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

“People think depression is related mostly to emotional reactions, but depression can happen because of neurological injury,” said Clifford Hopewell, a neuropsychologist and retired U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

Nita Battise, tribal council vice chair of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, said she worked at the Hopewell historical park 36 years ago — when they had to beg people to come visit.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 14, 2023

“The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks don’t reveal themselves to you right away,” Dan Kois writes.

From Slate • Sep. 25, 2023

The ancestral language may derive from what is known as the Hopewell culture.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann