Ionesco

American  

[yuh-nes-koh, ee-uh-] / jəˈnɛs koʊ, i ə- /

noun

1. Eugène 1912–94, French playwright, born in Romania.

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Ionesco British  

/ jɔnɛsko, ˌiːəˈnɛskəʊ /

noun

1. Eugène (øʒɛn). 1912–94, French dramatist, born in Romania; a leading exponent of the theatre of the absurd. His plays include The Bald Prima Donna (1950) and Rhinoceros (1960)

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Example Sentences

No one would ever confuse Harold Pinter with Jean Genet, or Beckett with Ionesco for that matter.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

Theatre of the Absurd pioneer Ionesco had called it an anti-Nazi play.

From Reuters • Nov. 24, 2021

Schisgal’s exploration of suicide and despair recalled other absurdist plays by European writers such as Samuel Beckett, Jean Genet and Eugène Ionesco, whom he cited as key influences.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2020

In scenes where an unctuous pair of bank managers interrogate an employee, and then, later, a loan applicant, it’s as if Eugène Ionesco were doing an adaptation of “Office Space” for an Amicus horror anthology.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2019

In answer, Madame Ionesco threw back her head and howled.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood