Elizabethan

[ ih-liz-uh-bee-thuhn, -beth-uhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the reign of Elizabeth I, queen of England, or to her times:

   Elizabethan diplomacy; Elizabethan music.

2. noting or pertaining to an English Renaissance style of architecture of the reign of Elizabeth I characterized by fantastic sculptured or molded ornament of German or Flemish origin, symmetrical layouts, and an emphasis on domestic architecture. Compare Jacobean ( def 2 ).

noun

1. an English person who lived during the Elizabethan period, especially a poet or dramatist.

Elizabethan

/ ɪˌlɪzəˈbiːθən /

adjective

1. of, characteristic of, or relating to England or its culture in the age of Elizabeth I or to the United Kingdom or its culture in the age of Elizabeth II
2. of, relating to, or designating a style of architecture used in England during the reign of Elizabeth I, characterized by moulded and sculptured ornament based on German and Flemish models

noun

1. a person who lived in England during the reign of Elizabeth I

Other Words From

• an·ti-E·liz·a·be·than adjective noun
• half-E·liz·a·be·than adjective
• post-E·liz·a·be·than adjective noun
• pro-E·liz·a·be·than adjective noun
• pseu·do-E·liz·a·be·than adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Elizabethan¹

First recorded in 1810–20; Elizabeth + -an

Example Sentences

His image — the hippie locks and earring, that scruffy Elizabethan beard — is the Mona Lisa meme of literature.

From Washington Post

The new sequel, Shadow of Night, actually takes Diana back in time to Elizabethan England.

From The Daily Beast

When the Queen of England began her reign in 1953, her countrymen declared a new Elizabethan Age.

From The Daily Beast

The Elizabethan pipes were so small that now when they are dug up in Ireland the poor call them 'fairy pipes' from their tininess.

From Project Gutenberg

The legend that may still be read upon the Corporation mace, of Elizabethan date, is earnest of this old-time amity.

From Project Gutenberg

In the Elizabethan Age men had thrown caution to the winds and lived with their whole bodies, not just with their minds alone.

From Project Gutenberg

It is in the Elizabethan style, with half-timber frame and sagging tile roof.

From Project Gutenberg

An examination of Elizabethan writings does not conduce to the idea of the term having had a widespread acceptation.

From Project Gutenberg