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.

---

Minerva British  

/ mɪˈnɜːvə /

noun

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

---

Minerva Cultural  

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

---

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

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

Sholay ran for over five years - three in regular shows and two as matinees at Mumbai's Minerva.

From BBC

Minerva SA said tariff turmoil drove increased Chinese demand and higher export prices for South American beef in the first quarter, helping lift profits for the Brazilian supplier.

From Los Angeles Times

The figure of the woman on the state seal in one corner is Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom.

From Los Angeles Times

In the Harry Potter films, she played the acerbic Professor Minerva McGonagall, famous for her pointed witch's hat and stern manner with the young wizards at Hogwarts.

From BBC