Montague

American  

[mon-tuh-gyoo] / ˈmɒn təˌgyu /

noun

1. (in Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet ) the family name of Romeo.

2. William Pepperell 1873–1953, U.S. philosopher.

3. a male given name.

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Usage

What does Montague mean? Montague is the family name of the character Romeo from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of Lord and Lady Montague. The house of Montague is in a bitter feud with the house of Capulet for reasons never revealed in the play. Other characters on the side of the Montagues include Lord Montague’s nephew Benvolio, Romeo’s friend Mercutio, and the servants Abram and Balthasar. In the play, Romeo falls in love with Juliet Capulet at first sight. Because of the feud, they meet in secret and eventually secretly get married. Later, Romeo is exiled from the city after killing Juliet’s cousin Tybalt out of revenge for Tybalt’s accidental killing of Mercutio. Hearing of Romeo’s exile, Juliet devises a plan in which she fakes her own death so that she can meet Romeo in the Capulet family tomb. However, Romeo believes Juliet to actually be dead and kills himself with poison to join her in the afterlife. Upon discovering that Romeo is dead, Juliet stabs herself to death. The deaths of their children cause Lord Montague and Lord Capulet to end their feud.

Compare meaning

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

• Montague vs. Capulet

Example Sentences

Montague plotting, are never explained—into the nether reaches beneath the hall’s seating area proves an intriguing stroke.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

Other invitees include a flighty young woman named Theodora and the homeowner’s nephew Luke; they join the scheming Montague and the home’s caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

When I was 7, we moved to Montague, nearly two hours west of Boston.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Shakespeare's classic story has been told many times before, of two young lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, whose families are embroiled in a bitter feud.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025

“We are three adult, intelligent people. We have all come a long way, Doctor Montague, to meet you here in Hill House; Eleanor wants to know why, and so do I.”

From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson