Minoan

American  

[mi-noh-uhn, mahy-] / mɪˈnoʊ ən, maɪ- /

adjective

1. of or relating to the ancient civilization of the island of Crete, dating from about 3000 to 1100 b.c.

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of ancient Crete.

Minoan British  

/ mɪˈnəʊən /

adjective

1. denoting the Bronze Age culture of Crete from about 3000 _bc to about 1100 _bc Compare Mycenaean

2. of or relating to the linear writing systems used in Crete and later in mainland Greece See Linear A Linear B

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noun

1. a Cretan belonging to the Minoan culture

Etymology

Origin of Minoan

First recorded in 1890–95; Mino(s) + -an

Compare meaning

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

• Minoan vs. Mycenaean

Example Sentences

The Phaistos Disc from Crete - a mysterious, fired clay disc from the Minoan civilisation - "closely mirrors the Indus script's challenges - its language is unknown, and only one known example exists".

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2025

I read it in the summer of 2017 while honeymooning in Crete, a place whose Minoan civilization figures prominently in Cline’s narrative.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2024

They will not be visiting the ruins of the Minoan palace of Knossos.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2024

Remember the Minoan goddess-priestess figurines—they have snakes coiled around their arms and are in an oracular trance.

From Scientific American • Sep. 28, 2023

On July 3, 1908, archaeologists excavating the ancient Minoan palace at Phaistos, on the island of Crete, chanced upon one of the most remarkable objects in the history of technology.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond