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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.

The full Promethean power of their achievement would slowly emerge over decades of research by fellow geneticists.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

Yeah, I expect some hate mail for "Promethean," because it sounds so darned elitist and stupid all at once.

From Salon • Jan. 5, 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

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.