Renan

American

[ri-nan, ruh-nahn] / rɪˈnæn, rəˈnɑ̃ /

noun

Ernest 1823–92, French philologist, historian, and critic.

Renan British

/ ranɑ̃ /

noun

( Joseph ) Ernest (ernest). 1823–92, French philosopher, theologian, and historian; best known for his Life of Jesus (1863), which discounted the supernatural aspects of the Gospels

"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

Example Sentences

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“Forgetting, I would even go so far as to say historical error, is a crucial factor in the creation of a nation,” Renan declared in 1882.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

However, Renan Monteiro, 42, founder of the tourism company Na Favela Turismo, told AFP that the drone footage was the fruit of efforts to show tourists "the positive side of the favela."

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

Renan Vieira, doctoral student at the U, is the first author.

From Science Daily • Oct. 19, 2025

An emotional Francis Ngannou marked his return to mixed martial arts with a first-round stoppage of Renan Ferreira at the PFL Super Fights event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2024

A supernatural account, according to Renan, "always implies credulity or imposture,"—probably both.

From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 11 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Miscellany by Ingersoll, Robert Green

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