Wordsworth

American  

[wurdz-wurth] / ˈwɜrdzˌwɜrθ /

noun

1. William, 1770–1850, English poet: poet laureate 1843–50.

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Wordsworth British  

/ ˈwɜːdzˌwəθ, ˌwɜːdzˈwɜːðɪən /

noun

1. Dorothy. 1771–1855, English writer, whose Journals are noted esp for their descriptions of nature

2. her brother, William . 1770–1850, English poet, whose work, celebrating nature, was greatly inspired by the Lake District, in which he spent most of his life. Lyrical Ballads (1798), to which Coleridge contributed, is often taken as the first example of English romantic poetry and includes his Lines Written above Tintern Abbey. Among his other works are The Prelude (completed in 1805; revised thereafter and published posthumously) and Poems in Two Volumes (1807), which includes The Solitary Reaper and Intimations of Immortality

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Other Word Forms

• Wordsworthian adjective
• Wordsworthianism noun

Example Sentences

Wordsworth lived to 80, but his best work was finished by 40.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

As William Wordsworth put it, “The world is too much with us.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

The East India Company had a close association with the Wordsworth family, and it is believed that John Wordsworth embarked on a life at sea to help support his brother's writing career.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2024

John Wordsworth, the brother of renowned Romantic poet William Wordsworth, was the ship's captain.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2024

He also likes to add his own flourishes, hence all the poetry—right now it’s Wordsworth and Emily Dickinson and Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed