Victorian

American  

[vik-tawr-ee-uhn, -tohr-] / vɪkˈtɔr i ən, -ˈtoʊr- /

adjective

1. of or relating to Queen Victoria or the period of her reign.

   Victorian poets.

2. having the characteristics usually attributed to the Victorians, especially prudishness and observance of the conventionalities.

   Synonyms:

   narrow, prim, smug, priggish, conventional, prudish

3. Architecture.

   1. noting or pertaining to the architecture, furnishings, and decoration of English-speaking countries between c1840 and c1900, characterized by rapid changes of style as a consequence of aesthetic and philosophical controversy, technological innovations, and changes of fashion, by the frequent presence of ostentatious ornament, and by an overall trend from classicism at the start to romanticism and eclecticism at the middle of the period and thence to classicism again, with attempts at stylistic innovation occurring from time to time.

   2. noting or pertaining to the massive, elaborate work characteristic especially of the period c1855–80, derived mainly from the Baroque and Gothic styles and characterized by the presence of heavy carved ornament, elaborate moldings, etc., by the use of strong and generally dark colors, by the frequent use of dark varnished woodwork, by the emphasis on geometrical form rather than on textural effects, and frequently by an effect of harshness.

---

noun

• Victorians
  plural

1. a person who lived during the Victorian period.

2. a house in or imitative of the Victorian style.

Victorian British  

/ vɪkˈtɔːrɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Queen Victoria or the period of her reign

2. exhibiting the characteristics popularly attributed to the Victorians, esp prudery, bigotry, or hypocrisy Compare Victorian values

3. denoting, relating to, or having the style of architecture used in Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria, characterized by massive construction and elaborate ornamentation

4. of or relating to Victoria (the state or any of the cities)

---

noun

1. a person who lived during the reign of Queen Victoria

2. an inhabitant of Victoria (the state or any of the cities)

Victorian Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for the time when Victoria was queen of England, from 1837 to 1901. The Victorian period in England is known as a time of industrial progress, colonial expansion, and public fastidiousness in morals. The Victorian period in the United States had many of the same characteristics.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Victorianism
  noun
• post-Victorian
  adjective
• pre-Victorian
  adjective
• pseudo-Victorian
  adjective
• un-Victorian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Victorians
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Victorian

First recorded in 1870–75; Victori(a) + -an

Explanation

Someone who's victorian is particularly prudish or prissy. Your victorian math teacher might demand complete silence and expect to be addressed as "Sir." When you describe someone as victorian, you mean that the person has an old fashioned, uptight idea of how others should speak and behave. You'll often see the adjective spelled with a capital V, since it comes from the other meaning of the word, "from the time period during the reign of Britain's Queen Victoria." Ever since the mid-1930's, people have described overly proper acquaintances as victorian, meaning that they seem like they're living in the nineteenth century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Victorian Victorians

A museum in Reading, west of London, is enjoying a flurry of attention for its little-known Victorian replica of the tapestry.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

The academy’s show is installed in its newly renovated landmark building, a Victorian masterpiece designed by the architect Frank Furness of the noted firm Furness & Hewitt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

She sold the adorable Victorian bungalow 13 years later for $950,000.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026

They were once at the heart of Scotland's economic prosperity, first through herring fishing and transatlantic trade, then shipbuilding and engineering, while nearby Gourock was a popular Victorian seaside resort.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

“What? Up in the attic like a Victorian pot scrubber?”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

The area, known for its breathtaking views and mix of mansions, Victorians and prewar apartment buildings, has long been sought after.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026

Ms Maiklem has written four books about mudlarking, which was historically a trade of poor Victorians and is now a popular hobby involving unearthing historical artefacts from the silt on river banks.

From BBC ● Dec. 23, 2025

"And it starts to challenge the ideas about whether or not it was the Victorians - and their kennel clubs - that drove this."

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2025

And the Victorians also struggled with the effect of space weather in 1859 when a huge solar eruption caused a geomagnetic storm that interfered with railway signalling and telegraph lines.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025

“Sometimes,” said the King, “I wish you had been born forwards like other people. What with Victorians and Mafeking Night...”

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White