ENGLISH
REFERENCE

athenian

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //əˈθiniən// athe·ni·an

adj. relating to the city of Athens in Greece, especially the famous city from ancient history.

adj. relating to the city of Athens, Greece, or its inhabitants, particularly in the context of the classical period of Greek history.


SIMPLE

We studied the Athenian government in our history class.

CONTEXTUAL

The museum features a stunning collection of Athenian pottery dating back to the fifth century BCE.

COMPLEX

Scholars often contrast the Athenian focus on philosophy and democratic debate with the more militaristic social structure of their Spartan rivals.

Origin

From Latin athēniēnsis; compare Middle English Athenyensis pl and Old English Athēniense pl. By surface analysis, Athens + -ian.

Usage

Typically used as a relational adjective; when used as a noun, it refers to a person from Athens.

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