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Shakespeare

American  
[sheyk-speer] / ˈʃeɪk spɪər /
Or Shakspere,

noun

  1. William, the Bardthe Bard of Avon, 1564–1616, English poet and dramatist.


Shakespeare British  
/ ˈʃeɪkspɪə /

noun

  1. William. 1564–1616, English dramatist and poet. He was born and died at Stratford-upon-Avon but spent most of his life as an actor and playwright in London. His plays with approximate dates of composition are: Henry VI, Parts I–III (1590); Richard III (1592); The Comedy of Errors (1592); Titus Andronicus (1593); The Taming of the Shrew (1593); The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594); Love's Labour's Lost (1594); Romeo and Juliet (1594); Richard II (1595); A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595); King John (1596); The Merchant of Venice (1596); Henry IV, Parts I–II (1597); Much Ado about Nothing (1598); Henry V (1598); Julius Caesar (1599); As You Like It (1599); Twelfth Night (1599); Hamlet (1600); The Merry Wives of Windsor (1600); Troilus and Cressida (1601); All's Well that ends Well (1602); Measure for Measure (1604); Othello (1604); King Lear (1605); Macbeth (1605); Antony and Cleopatra (1606); Coriolanus (1607); Timon of Athens (1607); Pericles (1608); Cymbeline (1609); The Winter's Tale (1610); The Tempest (1611); and, possibly in collaboration with John Fletcher, Two Noble Kinsmen (1612) and Henry VIII (1612). His Sonnets, variously addressed to a fair young man and a dark lady, were published in 1609

"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

Other Word Forms

  • pre-Shakespeare adjective

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.

Why do artists keep returning to William Shakespeare?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Karia doesn’t skimp on it, but then again, neither did Shakespeare, and the film is faithful, even if nipped and tucked for running time’s sake.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Mr. Page gave us an informed tour of Shakespeare’s baddest bad guys in his solo show “All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain,” seen off-Broadway and soon to become a book.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

What worked best for Bryan was the more British and surreal elements, like "Cilla Black impressions" and William Shakespeare returning to Stratford-on-Avon from London on a stolen scooter and wearing short shorts.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

“I’m fine, Mom. Trust me. It’s like Shakespeare said: ‘Be not afraid of greatness.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein