Phoenician

American  

[fi-nish-uhn, -nee-shuhn] / fɪˈnɪʃ ən, -ˈni ʃən /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Phoenicia.

2. the extinct Semitic language of the Phoenicians.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Phoenicia, its people, or their language.

2. noting or pertaining to the script used for the writing of Phoenician from the 11th century b.c. or earlier and from which were derived the Greek, Roman, and all other Western alphabets.

Phoenician British  

/ fəˈniːʃən, -ˈnɪʃɪən /

noun

1. a member of an ancient Semitic people of NW Syria who dominated the trade of the ancient world in the first millennium _bc and founded colonies throughout the Mediterranean

2. the extinct language of this people, belonging to the Canaanitic branch of the Semitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family

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adjective

1. of or relating to Phoenicia, the Phoenicians, or their language

Etymology

Origin of Phoenician

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at Phoenicia, -an

Example Sentences

In antiquity, the city of Tyre was at various times Phoenician, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

The great stories of exploration and trade and imperial rivalry are here, from the Phoenician sailors who plied the ancient Mediterranean to the 17th-century Dutch who traded in the East Indies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Between Del Toro’s two rampaging performances here and in this year’s “The Phoenician Scheme,” I’m convinced there’s nothing nicer than gliding in his wake as he barges through the world.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025

A couple of weeks ago, while out for drinks with a friend, I casually mentioned that I was looking forward to seeing the new Wes Anderson movie, “The Phoenician Scheme.”

From Salon • May 22, 2025

Ahmad taught him how to spear a fish, how to row a boat alone, how to dive from the great Phoenician stones on the islands southern wall.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers