Petrarchan

[pi-trahr-kuh n]

adjective Also Pe·trar·chi·an

[pi-trahr-kee-uh n] /pɪˈtrɑr ki ən/.

of, relating to, or characteristic of the works of Petrarch.
characteristic or imitative of the style of Petrarch.

noun

Petrarchist.

Origin of Petrarchan

First recorded in 1820–30; Petrarch + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for petrarchan

Historical Examples of petrarchan

As a result they introduced the Sonnet of the Petrarchan type into England.
Tudor and Stuart Love Songs
Various
Livia Chiavello, of Fabriano, was celebrated as one of the most brilliant representatives of the Petrarchan school.
Woman in Science
John Augustine Zahm
The form generally used by poets writing in English is what is called the Petrarchan sonnet.
The Circus, and Other Essays and Fugitive Pieces
Joyce Kilmer
This of course was Shakespeare's method, but Shakespeare, as we have seen, was not making Petrarchan sonnets.
The Circus, and Other Essays and Fugitive Pieces
Joyce Kilmer

Word Origin and History for petrarchan

Petrarchan

adj.

1827 (Keats uses Petrarchal, 1818), from Francesco Petrarch (Italian Petrarca) the poet (1304-1374).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper