ae·o·lian
ē-ˈō-lē-ən 
ē-ˈōl-yən
1
often capitalized
: of or relating to Aeolus
2
: giving forth or marked by a moaning or sighing sound or musical tone produced by or as if by the wind
Ae·o·lian
ē-ˈō-lē-ən
ā-
ā-
-ˈōl-yən
: of or relating to Aeolis or its inhabitants
1
: a member of a group of Greek peoples of Thessaly and Boeotia that colonized Lesbos and the adjacent coast of Asia Minor
2
: aeolic
Examples of aeolian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Catellier, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
The cooling effect of fragrant terpene aerosols from coniferous boreal forests was decreasing, and aeolian accumulations of dust on the Loess Plateau indicated that human existence did not coincide with a high-carbon atmosphere until 1965.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's magazine, 25 Nov. 2019
Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 23 June 2025
Here are some recent columns: Texas Fun Fact Texas baritone makes professional debut in New York
On April 4, 1924, Julius Lorenzo Cobb Bledsoe made his professional singing debut at Aeolian Hall in New York City.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 31 Jan. 2025
Christopher Ward has always embraced the challenge of balancing form and function, and the C65 Dune Aeolian Collection is a great example of this.
—Matthew Catellier, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Cowell’s Sword of Oblivion (1921–22), Aeolian Harp (1923), and The Banshee (1925) spotlight this technique.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 15 Jan. 2025
Our intrepid readers have traveled the world over the last year, exploring everything from Italy’s Aeolian Islands to the Sahara Desert.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2024
Along with the copper dome atop it, the building’s most notable feature is the massive Aeolian Skinner pipe organ inside it—regarded as one of the world’s finest.
—Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2024
Oenophiles in the Aeolian Islands should go wine tasting at a local vineyard and sample local dessert wine.
—Jamie Ditaranto, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2023
Vesuvius and company are part of the Campania Magmatic Province while Etna belongs to the Sicily Magmatic Province and Stromboli to yet another, the Aeolian Arc Magmatic Province.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
With textured dials inspired by the natural aeolian sand patterns of France’s Dune du Pilat, these watches combine rugged field-watch styling with modern specs.
—Matthew Catellier, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
The cooling effect of fragrant terpene aerosols from coniferous boreal forests was decreasing, and aeolian accumulations of dust on the Loess Plateau indicated that human existence did not coincide with a high-carbon atmosphere until 1965.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's magazine, 25 Nov. 2019
Noun
The large island is surrounded by several smaller islands on which wine is made, such as the Aeolian Islands, and Pantelleria.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 23 June 2025
Here are some recent columns: Texas Fun Fact Texas baritone makes professional debut in New York
On April 4, 1924, Julius Lorenzo Cobb Bledsoe made his professional singing debut at Aeolian Hall in New York City.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 31 Jan. 2025
Christopher Ward has always embraced the challenge of balancing form and function, and the C65 Dune Aeolian Collection is a great example of this.
—Matthew Catellier, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
Cowell’s Sword of Oblivion (1921–22), Aeolian Harp (1923), and The Banshee (1925) spotlight this technique.
—Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 15 Jan. 2025
Our intrepid readers have traveled the world over the last year, exploring everything from Italy’s Aeolian Islands to the Sahara Desert.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2024
Along with the copper dome atop it, the building’s most notable feature is the massive Aeolian Skinner pipe organ inside it—regarded as one of the world’s finest.
—Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2024
Oenophiles in the Aeolian Islands should go wine tasting at a local vineyard and sample local dessert wine.
—Jamie Ditaranto, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2023
Vesuvius and company are part of the Campania Magmatic Province while Etna belongs to the Sicily Magmatic Province and Stromboli to yet another, the Aeolian Arc Magmatic Province.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2023
Cite this Entry
“Aeolian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aeolian. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share