Marcus Aurelius

American  

[aw-ree-lee-uhs, aw-reel-yuhs] / ɔˈri li əs, ɔˈril jəs /

noun

1. Marcus Annius Verus, a.d. 121–180, Stoic philosopher and writer: emperor of Rome 161–180.

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Marcus Aurelius Cultural  

1. A Stoic philosopher and emperor of Rome in the second century a.d. He is best known for his Meditations, a philosophical autobiography that is a classic work of personal writing and a remarkable exposition on Stoicism.

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Example Sentences

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Marcus Aurelius

When an ancient bronze statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius landed back on Turkish soil after decades abroad, it was more than a symbolic homecoming.

From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026

“The real Marcus Aurelius seems to be basically a Roman rather than a Stoic,” one historian wrote in 1969.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026

And so here we are, staring at a world of injustice, which, according to Marcus Aurelius, “lies in what you aren’t doing, not only in what you are doing.”

From Salon ● Jan. 2, 2026

The denarii date from the late Roman Republic to the reign of Marcus Aurelius and his wife Faustina and were found at Barton Bendish, Norfolk.

From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2025

He also served Commodus, who was the son of Marcus Aurelius and became emperor when his father died in AD 180.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin