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

Among island empires, why did writing arise in Minoan Crete but not in Polynesian Tonga?

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