Minerva
Americannoun
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the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts, identified with the Greek goddess Athena.
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a woman of great wisdom.
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a female given name.
noun
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)”
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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.
Like her great-grandfather Shrewlock Holmes, Minerva has something of a cerebral streak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
The maritime tracking website VesselFinder says that in 2025 the Minerva M.’s name changed to the Olina, whose registered owner in maritime records is listed as Tantye Peur Ltd., a Hong Kong company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
Instead they spectacularly turned things around and topped the podium ahead of Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, who took silver ahead of overnight leaders Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany.
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
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
Now we have one of our silent battles; I look at Dr. Minerva and she looks at me.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
