Johnsonian

American  

[jon-soh-nee-uhn] / dʒɒnˈsoʊ ni ən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Samuel Johnson or his works.

2. having the quality of Johnsonese.

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noun

1. a person who writes in the Johnsonian style.

2. a teacher or critic who specializes in the works of Samuel Johnson.

Johnsonian British  

/ dʒɒnˈsəʊnɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Samuel Johnson, his works, or his style of writing

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Other Word Forms

• Johnsonianism noun
• Johnsonianly adverb
• post-Johnsonian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Johnsonian

First recorded in 1785–95; Johnson + -ian

Example Sentences

“He’s quite rare in being directly associated with both Cameron-Osborne austerity and Johnsonian hard Brexit,” said Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics and public policy at Kings College London.

From New York Times

Bob Dylan played off Mr. Saluga’s Johnsonian wordplay, and his own name change, in his 1979 song “Gotta Serve Somebody.”

From New York Times

“But he has banished the much-ridiculed ‘Global Britain’ Johnsonian slogan, preferring to under-promise and over-deliver.

From New York Times

This was a very Johnsonian example of self-promotion.

From BBC

Using typical Johnsonian language, he initially dismissed the claims as an “inverted pyramid of piffle” before other evidence emerged.

From Washington Post