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Ibsen

American  
[ib-suhn, ip-suhn] / ˈɪb sən, ˈɪp sən /

noun

  1. Henrik 1828–1906, Norwegian dramatist and poet.


Ibsen British  
/ ˈɪbsən /

noun

  1. Henrik (ˈhɛnrɪk). 1828–1906, Norwegian dramatist and poet. After his early verse plays Brand (1866) and Peer Gynt (1867), he began the series of social dramas in prose, including A Doll's House (1879), Ghosts (1881), and The Wild Duck (1886), which have had a profound influence on modern drama. His later plays, such as Hedda Gabler (1890) and The Master Builder (1892), are more symbolic

"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

Other Word Forms

  • post-Ibsen adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is still the Ibsen play, but I really think you don’t need to know the play at all to be able to enjoy the the film, because it’s its own thing like that.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

A 19th-century play by Henrik Ibsen gets a bracing update from filmmaker Nia DaCosta in “Hedda.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

There is no reason to adapt an existing work without doing something new, and Ms. DaCosta does plenty, though much of the updating shows how truly groundbreaking Ibsen was.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

"And when I was told he was doing Ibsen and The Lady from the Sea, I guess that going back to my Scandinavian and Swedish heritage, it kind of felt like a perfect match."

From BBC • May 7, 2025

I knew a lot about Ibsen, but I’d never read any of his plays.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green