Ptolemaic

adjective

Ptol·​e·​ma·​ic ˌtä-lə-ˈmā-ik 

1

: of or relating to the second century geographer and astronomer Ptolemy of Alexandria and especially to his belief that the earth is at the center of the universe with the sun, moon, and planets revolving around it

the Ptolemaic system

2

: of or relating to the Greco-Egyptian Ptolemies ruling Egypt from 323 to 30 b.c.

Examples of Ptolemaic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Wanting to appease the native population, the Ptolemaic king sought to alter the tax rate for select influential groups, like high priests at major temples. —Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

The port served as an important trade hub during the Roman and Ptolemaic eras, linking Arabia and India with the Mediterranean world, researchers, who are affiliated with Egypt’s National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, said. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024

Dating back to the Ptolemaic dynasty of ancient Egypt, one chamber in the massive necropolis offers a curious glimpse into ancient Egyptian belief. —Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024

For this latest work, Davide Tanasi of the University of South Florida and his co-authors analyzed an Egyptian ritual vase in the shape of Bes dating back to the second century BCE—known as the Ptolemaic period—in the collection of the Tampa Museum of Art in Florida. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 June 2023

The researchers also discovered newer burials, including remains from the Ptolemaic period (around 304 to 30 B.C.E.) and a coffin from the 18th Dynasty (roughy 1550 to 1295 B.C.E.). —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024

Ever since the third century B.C.E., when the Ptolemaic dynasty erected a monumental lighthouse on the Alexandrian coast, people have been fiddling with combinations of fire, mirrors, and lenses, in the hope of producing a stronger beacon. —Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023

Season two, African Queens: Queen Cleopatra, would zero in on the personal and professional struggles of Cleopatra (played by Adele James) during her tumultuous reign over Ptolemaic Egypt. —Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 12 May 2023

Dated to the Ptolemaic period, which spanned 305 to 30 B.C.E., the artworks add to evidence suggesting the Greeks brought the zodiac tradition to Egypt. —Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Greek Ptolemaikos, from Ptolemaios Ptolemy

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1