Polonius
noun
Po·lo·ni·us
pə-ˈlō-nē-əs 
: a garrulous courtier and father of Ophelia and Laertes in Shakespeare's Hamlet
Examples of Polonius in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the drama, Ophelia is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, who falls in love with Prince Hamlet.
—
Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
When Polonius later orders her to distance herself from the prince, Ophelia becomes distraught, which is only intensified when Hamlet later kills her father.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025
Joe Alwyn stars as Laertes and Morfydd Clark is Ophelia, while Timothy Spall and Sheeba Chaddha feature as Polonius and Gertrude, respectively.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Ophelia is a young noblewoman whose fate is controlled by three men: Hamlet, the prince; Polonius, her father; and Laertes, her brother.
—Bryan West, The Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025
Brevity is the soul of wit, as Polonius said in Shakespeare’s classic drama Hamlet.
—Brooklynn Scott, National Review, 22 July 2025
The principal cast consists of: Jared Harris as Claudius, Nancy Carroll as Gertrude, Anton Lesser, as the Ghost/First Player, Elliot Levey playing Polonius, Kel Matsena as Horatio, Lewis Shepherd as Laertes, and Nia Towle as Ophelia.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025
Roundup Editors’ Picks of 2022 Poetry, Polonius, and Prison: a collection of this year’s greatest hits from JSTOR Daily.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
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Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
When Polonius later orders her to distance herself from the prince, Ophelia becomes distraught, which is only intensified when Hamlet later kills her father.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025
Joe Alwyn stars as Laertes and Morfydd Clark is Ophelia, while Timothy Spall and Sheeba Chaddha feature as Polonius and Gertrude, respectively.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Ophelia is a young noblewoman whose fate is controlled by three men: Hamlet, the prince; Polonius, her father; and Laertes, her brother.
—Bryan West, The Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025
Brevity is the soul of wit, as Polonius said in Shakespeare’s classic drama Hamlet.
—Brooklynn Scott, National Review, 22 July 2025
The principal cast consists of: Jared Harris as Claudius, Nancy Carroll as Gertrude, Anton Lesser, as the Ghost/First Player, Elliot Levey playing Polonius, Kel Matsena as Horatio, Lewis Shepherd as Laertes, and Nia Towle as Ophelia.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025
Roundup Editors’ Picks of 2022 Poetry, Polonius, and Prison: a collection of this year’s greatest hits from JSTOR Daily.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Polonius.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Polonius. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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