Mycenaean

adjective

My·​ce·​nae·​an ˌmī-sə-ˈnē-ən How to pronounce Mycenaean (audio)
variants or less commonly Mycenian
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Mycenae, its people, or the period (1400 to 1100 b.c.) of Mycenae's political ascendancy
2
: characteristic of the Bronze Age Mycenaean culture of the eastern Mediterranean area
Mycenaean noun

Examples of Mycenaean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Latin, for instance, existed around 2,050 years ago, Old Icelandic about 800 years ago, and Mycenaean Greek about 3,350 years ago. Kurt Kleiner, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024 Originally settled by Mycenaean Greeks, the island nation offers archaeological sites, delicious traditional cuisine, and stunning scenery. Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2024 Much of the background material in the Iliad and the Odyssey clearly references the Mycenaean period (though the narrative core is perhaps reflective of the Dark Ages before the rise of Classical Greece). Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 6 July 2010 The cave at its far end was a site of Mycenaean goddess worship, and relics recovered from it include a set of bronze tripods which fit Homer’s description of gifts that Odysseus received from the Phaeacians. Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Mycenaean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Mycenaean was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near Mycenaean

Cite this Entry

“Mycenaean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mycenaean. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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