Wessex

American

[wes-iks] / ˈwɛs ɪks /

noun

(in the Middle Ages) a kingdom, later an earldom, in S England. Winchester.
the fictional setting of the novels of Thomas Hardy, principally identifiable with Dorsetshire.

Wessex ¹ British

/ ˈwɛsɪks /

noun

an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in S and SW England that became the most powerful English kingdom by the 10th century _a.d
1. (in Thomas Hardy's works) the southwestern counties of England, esp Dorset
2. ( as modifier )
  
  Wessex Poems

"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

Wessex ² British

noun

See Edward

"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

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.

He defeated Cynewulf, the king of Wessex, at the Battle of Bensington in 779.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

He became a model for the kings of Wessex in particular.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

When Cockfosters face AFC Stoneham of the Wessex League Premier Division on Sunday, it will be quite the change from the conditions Lovell and his team-mates have encountered over a gruelling season.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

After being stored for more than 30 years in a loft, the sleeve is going under the hammer at auctioneers, Wessex Auction Rooms, in Wiltshire.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2025

I dip my fountain pen into a pot of ink, and a Wessex helicopter crashes into a glacier on South Georgia.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023