Minerva

American  

[mi-nur-vuh] / mɪˈnɜr və /

noun

1. the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts, identified with the Greek goddess Athena.

2. a woman of great wisdom.

3. a female given name.

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Minerva British  

/ mɪˈnɜːvə /

noun

1. Greek counterpart: Athena.  the Roman goddess of wisdom

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Minerva Cultural  

1. The Roman name of Athena, the Greek and Roman goddess of wisdom.

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Etymology

Origin of Minerva

First recorded before 1000 Minerva for def. 1; 1780–85 Minerva for def. 2; from Latin Minerva, earlier Menerva, from unattested Meneswā, perhaps meaning “intelligent, wise (woman),” or “woman who measures (the phases of the moon)”

Compare meaning

How does minerva compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Minerva vs. Athena

Example Sentences

When the U.S. put sanctions on Sunne, it also said the company owned a tanker called the Minerva M., a Russian shadow-fleet vessel.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Two vessels, the Minerva Gloria and Searuby, were anchored at Bajo Grande on Thursday.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

For three decades, Minerva Analytics has championed a simple principle: Stewardship should always reflect the investor’s voice—not ours, not a trade association’s and certainly not a politician’s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

The youngsters join John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the school's key professors being played by Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu, as Severus Snape.

From BBC • May 27, 2025

I ran full out, almost tripping over the huddled shape of Minerva where she sat, crouched on the ground, rocking back and forth and muttering words I couldn’t pickup.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline