Shakespearean

or Shake·spear·i·an

[ sheyk-speer-ee-uhn ]

adjective

of, relating to, or suggestive of Shakespeare or his works.

noun

a Shakespearean scholar; a specialist in the study of the works of Shakespeare.

Origin of Shakespearean

First recorded in 1810–20; Shakespeare + -an

Other words from Shakespearean

Shake·spear·e·an·ism, Shake·spear·i·an·ism, noun
half-Shake·spear·e·an, adjective
non-Shake·spear·e·an, adjective
non-Shake·spear·i·an, adjective
post-Shake·spear·e·an, adjective
post-Shake·spear·i·an, adjective
pre-Shake·spear·e·an, adjective
pre-Shake·spear·i·an, adjective
pseu·do-Shake·spear·e·an, adjective
pseu·do-Shake·spear·i·an, adjective

Words Nearby Shakespearean

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Shakespearean in a sentence

I am not a Shakespearean scholar, but I have hiked around in this habitat, and “Shakespearean” is the first such tome that I have found not only thought-provoking but also moving and inspirational.
Shakespeare still matters. A new book reminds us why. | Michael Sims | September 9, 2021 | Washington Post
I volunteer this personal history because Robert McCrum’s magnificent new book, “Shakespearean,” is about, in part, Shakespeare’s ability to speak to many kinds of people in many different ways.
Shakespeare still matters. A new book reminds us why. | Michael Sims | September 9, 2021 | Washington Post
Not that the Shakespearean riff on/rip off is limited to novels.
Book Bag: 5 Novels Shakespeare Sort of Wrote | Lois Leveen | October 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Many legendary Shakespearean thespians have been indebted to drink.
Is That a Bottle of Wine I See Before Me? The Delights of Drunk Shakespeare | Tom Teodorczuk | June 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Context: The Shakespearean actor allegedly said this to a nurse who, when attempting to moisten his lips, misfired.
Tupac’s ‘F*ck You’ to a Cop and the Best Last Words | Marlow Stern | May 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

And in typical Shakespearean fashion, the episode was still not done with everything.
The Explosive ‘Scandal’ Finale Was Its Best Episode Yet | Kevin Fallon | April 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Paul Bowles put it that way in Let It Come Down, a title taken from a Shakespearean assassin just before he strikes.
Susan Minot on Africa, Joseph Kony, and the Limits of Writing About Love | Lea Carpenter | February 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
They were princes and were like Shakespearean young men of the brilliant water-fly type, such as Osric.
Castellinaria | Henry Festing Jones
In turning over a pile of toast lists, the first to attract our attention is the one prepared for the Hull Shakespearean Festival.
Literary Byways | William Andrews
With an intensity more painful than that of any Shakespearean drama, men's eyes were fastened on the armies in the field.
The Education of Henry Adams | Henry Adams
It is the very summary, the quintessence, of Shakespearean appreciation.
Summer Days in Shakespeare Land | Charles G. Harper
Never, probably, was a Shakespearean play so superbly mounted.
Ellen Terry and Her Sisters | T. Edgar Pemberton

British Dictionary definitions for Shakespearean

Shakespearean

Shakespearian

/ (ʃeɪkˈspɪərɪən) /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Shakespeare or his works

noun

a student of or specialist in Shakespeare's works

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

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