Minoan

[ mi-noh-uhn, mahy- ]

/ mɪˈnoʊ ən, maɪ- /

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adjective

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

noun

a native or inhabitant of ancient Crete.

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Origin of Minoan

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

Words nearby Minoan

Minni, minnie, minnow, minny, Miño, Minoan, minocycline, Minogue, minor, minor arcana, minor axis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Minoan in a sentence

One interesting case study is Sir Arthur Evans, the original excavator and “restorer” of the Minoan palace of Knossos on Crete.
The Classics are Dead! Long Live the Classics! Mary Beard’s New Book|Nick Romeo|September 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The cavity proved to be a great reservoir approached by a rock-cut staircase and of Early Minoan date.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5|Various
During the progress of the “Late-Minoan” period the subjects tended to assume a more formal and heraldic character.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5|Various
Evidence however is now accumulating to the effect that cremation was practised in Crete in Early Minoan times.
The Heroic Age|H. Munro Chadwick

The whole plan bears more than a superficial resemblance to those of Cretan palaces in the later Minoan period.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 5|Various
The latest discoveries in Minoan graves in Crete exhibit tools of bronze.
Homer and His Age|Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for Minoan

Minoan

/ (mɪˈnəʊən) /

adjective

denoting the Bronze Age culture of Crete from about 3000 bc to about 1100 bcCompare Mycenaean

of or relating to the linear writing systems used in Crete and later in mainland GreeceSee Linear A, Linear B

noun

a Cretan belonging to the Minoan culture

Word Origin for Minoan

C19: named after Minos, from the excavations at his supposed palace at Knossos

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012