Mycenaean

American  

[mahy-si-nee-uhn] / ˌmaɪ sɪˈni ən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the ancient city of Mycenae.

2. denoting or pertaining to the ancient civilization at Mycenae, dating from c2000 to c1100 b.c.

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noun

1. Also called Mycenaean Greek.  the earliest recorded Greek dialect, written in the Linear B syllabary and dating from the 15th through the 13th centuries b.c.

Mycenaean British  

/ ˌmaɪsɪˈniːən /

adjective

1. of or relating to ancient Mycenae or its inhabitants

2. of or relating to the Aegean civilization of Mycenae (1400 to 1100 _bc )

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Other Word Forms

• pre-Mycenaean
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Mycenaean

First recorded in 1590–1600; Mycenae + -an

Compare meaning

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

• Minoan vs. Mycenaean

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Mycenaean

The star of this look into the ancient, not widely known Mycenaean kingdom of Pylos was a tiny agate, barely 1.3 inches wide, making its public debut outside Europe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025

The impressive, palace-based Mycenaean civilization—they of Trojan War fame—almost entirely disappeared.

From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2024

Fischer told The Associated Press that along with Mycenaean pottery, the Cypriot variety was “the most popular on the ‘intercultural’ market” of the time, reaching as far as modern-day Spain, Iraq, Turkey and Sudan.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 11, 2023

The Mycenaean kingdoms in Greece and the Hittite kingdom in Anatolia suffered greatly and collapsed.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

Syllabaries were common in ancient times, as exemplified by the Linear B writing of Mycenaean Greece.

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