Venetian

American  

[vuh-nee-shuhn] / vəˈni ʃən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Venice or its inhabitants.

2. pertaining to or designating a style of painting developed in Venice principally during the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized chiefly by rich, often warm colors and the illusion of deep space.

3. in or in imitation of the style typical of Venice.

   Venetian architecture.

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Venice.

2. (lowercase) venetian blind.

3. venetians, a tape or braid for supporting the slats of a venetian blind.

4. Also called Venetian cloth.  Textiles.

   1. a wool or worsted fabric made in satin or twill weave and sometimes napped, used in the manufacture of lightweight coats, suits, skirts, and dresses.

   2. a cotton fabric constructed in satin or twill weave, used chiefly for linings.

Venetian British  

/ vɪˈniːʃən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Venice or its inhabitants

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Venice

2. See Venetian blind

3. (sometimes not capital) one of the tapes that join the slats of a Venetian blind

4. a cotton or woollen cloth used for linings

Other Word Forms

• non-Venetian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Venetian

1400–50; < Medieval Latin Venetiānus, equivalent to Veneti ( a ) Venice + Latin -ānus -an; replacing Middle English Venicien < Middle French

Example Sentences

Yet another Venetian chronicler claimed seven out of 10.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

A grey flannel coat was inspired by film noir, featuring a stripe detail that took inspiration from Venetian blinds.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

A striking gray-striped coat featured geometric shadows that mimicked light filtering through Venetian blinds, appearing as if it had practically materialized from a black and white film.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Spring brings risi e bisi, the classic Venetian rice-and-peas dish; autumn meant bigoli con l’anatra, a spaghetti-like pasta with duck ragù.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Across from Laleh’s room was a sunroom—though it was dark now—with a huge window covered in Venetian blinds and a well-loved beige couch in front.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram