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Promethean

American  
[pruh-mee-thee-uhn] / prəˈmi θi ən /

adjective

  1. of or suggestive of Prometheus.

  2. creative; boldly original.


noun

  1. a person who resembles Prometheus in spirit or action.

Promethean British  
/ prəˈmiːθɪən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Prometheus

  2. creative, original, or life-enhancing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a person who resembles Prometheus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Promethean

First recorded in 1590–1600; Promethe(us) + -an

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Yet the myth of him as a Promethean figure who suffered for unleashing the fundamental forces of nature onto a society unprepared to bear responsibility for it obscures the extent of his complicity.

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2025

There, he imagined how A.I. would facilitate “our Promethean moment,” he said in a YouTube video from March.

From New York Times • May 25, 2023

Johnson urged his audience to call forth the "can-do Promethean spirit that will get us out of this mess".

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2022

All were participants in a Promethean experiment aimed at extending the human life span.

From Washington Post • Nov. 28, 2021

Mrs. Medina puts up a graphic on the Promethean board.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

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