Penelope

American  

[puh-nel-uh-pee] / pəˈnɛl ə pi /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. the wife of Odysseus, who remained faithful to him during his long absence at Troy.

2. a faithful wife.

3. a female given name: from a Greek word meaning “weaver.”

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Penelope British  

/ pəˈnɛləpɪ /

noun

1. Greek myth the wife of Odysseus, who remained true to him during his long absence despite the importunities of many suitors

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Penelope Cultural  

1. The wife of Odysseus in classical mythology. Penelope remained true to her husband for the ten years he spent fighting in the Trojan War (see also Trojan War) and for the ten years it took him to return from Troy, even though she was harassed by men who wanted to marry her. She promised to choose a suitor after she had finished weaving a shroud for her father-in-law, but every night she unraveled what she had woven during the day. After three years, her trick was discovered, but she still managed to put her suitors off until Odysseus returned and killed them.

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Penelope is an image of fidelity and devotion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Penelope

"I'd never done anything like this before, so I had no clue about where to start," says Emma, 35, who lives near Bolton with her partner Louis and elder daughter Penelope.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

During a trip home to Argentina, he met Evelyn Penelope Jane Rose, known as Penny, an Englishwoman who was working as a teacher in a British-style boarding school in Buenos Aires.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The unfaithful Clytemnestra and Helen are supposed to be contrasting forces to Anne Hathaway’s loyal Penelope.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026

At the end of “The Return,” when Fiennes stands entrail-smeared before his beloved Penelope, she recoils from the horror of the battlefield brought right into their home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Penelope peeked into the pot on the stove—porridge with jam, excellent!—but turned her attention to the walls.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

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