Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Laertes

American  
[lay-ur-teez, -air-] / leɪˈɜr tiz, -ˈɛər- /

noun

Classical Mythology.
  1. the father of Odysseus.


Laertes British  
/ leɪˈɜːtiːz /

noun

  1. Greek myth the father of Odysseus

"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

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.

See Examples For:

To keep up the “Hamlet” ties, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern show up, as a pair of henchmen trying to stop Scarlet, and there are cameos by Laertes and his father, Polonius.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025

Bushy-browed Waterston began his acting career as a stage actor in New York with a number of Shakespeare roles, including Lear, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, Prospero, Leonato, Prince Hal, Silvius, Cloten and Benedict.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2024

As her avenging brother, Laertes, the tenor David Butt Philip is ardent; as her officious father, Polonius, the tenor William Burden avoids caricature.

From New York Times ● May 15, 2022

Last weekend, just days before opening night, two of its key actors, Steven Berkoff, who had been due to play Polonius, and actress Emmanuella Cole, who was to portray his son Laertes, both pulled out.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2021

As for the loaves, Mesaulios dealt them out, a yard boy, bought by the swineherd on his own, unaided by his mistress or Laertes, from Taphians, while Odysseus was away.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training