phoenix

¹ American  

[fee-niks] / ˈfi nɪks /

Also phenix

noun

genitive

Phoenicis

1. Sometimes Phoenix a mythical bird of great beauty fabled to live 500 or 600 years in the Arabian wilderness, to burn itself on a funeral pyre, and to rise from its ashes in the freshness of youth and live through another cycle of years: often an emblem of immortality or of reborn idealism or hope.

2. (initial capital letter) a southern constellation between Hydrus and Sculptor.

3. a person or thing of peerless beauty or excellence; paragon.

4. a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation.

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Phoenix ² American  

[fee-niks] / ˈfi nɪks /

noun

1. Classical Mythology.

   1. the brother of Cadmus and Europa, and eponymous ancestor of the Phoenicians.

   2. a son of Amyntor and Cleobule who became the foster father of Achilles and who fought with the Greek forces in the Trojan War.

2. a city in and the capital of Arizona, in the central part.

3. Military. a 13-foot (4-meter), 989-pound (445-kilogram) U.S. Navy air-to-air missile with radar guidance and a range of over 120 nautical miles.

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phoenix ¹ British  

/ ˈfiːnɪks /

noun

1. a legendary Arabian bird said to set fire to itself and rise anew from the ashes every 500 years

2. a person or thing of surpassing beauty or quality

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Phoenix ² British  

/ ˈfiːnɪks /

noun

1. a constellation in the S hemisphere lying between Grus and Eridanus

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Phoenix ³ British  

/ ˈfiːnɪks /

noun

1. a city in central Arizona, capital city of the state, on the Salt River. Pop: 1 388 416 (2003 est)

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Phoenix ¹ Cultural  

1. Capital city of Arizona.

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phoenix ² Cultural  

1. A mythical bird that periodically burned itself to death and emerged from the ashes as a new phoenix. According to most stories, the rebirth of the phoenix happened every five hundred years. Only one phoenix lived at a time.

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Discover More

To “rise like a phoenix from the ashes” is to overcome a seemingly insurmountable setback.

Etymology

Origin of phoenix

First recorded before 900; from Latin, from Greek phoînix “a mythical bird, purple-red color,” Phoenician, “date palm”; replacing Middle English, Old English fēnix, from Medieval Latin; Latin as above

Explanation

If you want to see a phoenix, simply locate a unicorn or a centaur, and then you'll be in the right neighborhood. A phoenix is a mythical bird known for rising from its ashes. Don't try that at home! Accordingly to ancient legend, the phoenix is a bird that cyclically burns to death and is reborn from its own ashes. For this reason, the phoenix often serves as a symbol of renewal and rebirth. The name of Phoenix, Arizona is a direct reference to this idea; Phoenix was built upon the ruins of a civilization that had collapsed long before, apparently due to drought.

Example Sentences

Former captain Ryan Brierley is returning to Salford to become chief executive, the consortium that has won the bid to run the phoenix club has said.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

“I’m at a place now where I feel like, in a way, it’s sort of a phoenix situation,” Hollis said about his post-fire rise from the ashes.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

"I was determined not to let him win," she said, adding that although she believed she was going to die that night she would "rise like a phoenix from the ashes".

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2025

Now, like the proverbial phoenix, Akashi’s show will go on, recontextualized to meet the moment.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2025

Christopher stared as a phoenix came to roost atop a lamppost; nobody looked twice.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• behemoth
• freak
• giant
• whale