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.

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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)

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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.

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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

The exercise and fresh air work their plain Victorian magic; soon she is ravenous for the porridge waiting at Misselthwaite Manor.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

Disraeli’s personality and wit contrast favorably with the manner of today’s bland technocrats who combine the temper of Victorian radicals with the tone of Georgian political managers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Pentonville is one of 31 Victorian prisons still in operation across England.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Openings have been created in fences and walls, including a passage drilled through a thick Victorian boundary, allowing the animals to move freely between neighbouring spaces.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

“My bedroom looks out on the bridge,” she said, and pointed to a Victorian masterpiece at the bottom of the mountain, directly in line with the bridge.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Wogan Cavern, thought to have been dug out by the Victorians, is accessed via a spiral staircase from the castle.

From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026

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

The notice appears on the description of Cardiff University's English Literature module Gothic Fiction: The Victorians, which examines texts from the 19th Century.

From BBC ● Mar. 12, 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

“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