Pliny

American  

[plin-ee] / ˈplɪn i /

noun

1. the ElderGaius Plinius Secundus, a.d. 23–79, Roman naturalist, encyclopedist, and writer.

2. his nephew (“the Younger,” Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus ) a.d. 62?–c113, Roman writer, statesman, and orator.

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Pliny British  

/ ˈplɪnɪ /

noun

1. known as Pliny the Elder. Latin name Gaius Plinius Secundus. 23–79 _ad , Roman writer, the author of the encyclopedic Natural History (77)

2. his nephew, known as Pliny the Younger. Latin name Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus. ?62–?113 _ad , Roman writer and administrator, noted for his letters

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Other Word Forms

• Plinian adjective

Example Sentences

Craft beer drinkers know Pliny the Elder as the inspiration for his namesake double IPA.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

Pliny the Elder has long held the distinction of being the one victim of Vesuvius we know much about.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Two thousand years ago, the Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder described a man named Pomponius who could not belch.

From Salon • Sep. 8, 2024

During the late 2000s, when Pliny the Younger became the most sought-after ale in North America, Brouwer’s had kegs of the triple IPA squirrelled away.

From Seattle Times • May 28, 2024

As Pliny the Naturalist saith, “No man is wise in every hour. ”

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson