# Elizabethan

/ˌɛɫɪzəˈbiθən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/elizabethan
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. the era of Elizabeth I

adjective · CEFR B2

relating to the time when Queen Elizabeth I ruled England (1558–1603).

For teachers: pertaining to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, typically used to describe the culture, literature, and architecture of the late 16th century.

- We studied Elizabethan poetry, including the famous sonnets by William Shakespeare.
- The Elizabethan era is often regarded as a golden age in English history, marked by significant maritime expansion and the flourishing of drama.

### 2. the era of Elizabeth II

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

relating to the time when Queen Elizabeth II ruled the UK (1952–2022).

For teachers: pertaining to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II; often qualified as 'New Elizabethan' or 'Second Elizabethan' to distinguish it from the 16th-century era.

- The museum held an exhibition about Elizabethan fashion from the 1950s.
- Commentators often debated whether the Second Elizabethan age would be remembered for its technological revolutions or its social transformations.

### 3. a person from that time

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

a person, especially a famous writer, who lived during the time of Queen Elizabeth I.

For teachers: a person who lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, frequently used in a literary context to refer to playwrights and poets of that period.

- Shakespeare is perhaps the most famous Elizabethan in history.
- The scholar argued that the Elizabethans viewed the relationship between the monarch and the state very differently than we do today.

## Examples

- We are studying Elizabethan poetry in school.
- The town is famous for its well-preserved Elizabethan houses with their distinctive black-and-timber frames.
- Scholars often debate the extent to which Elizabethan drama was influenced by the political tensions of the late sixteenth century.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.