Anglo-Saxon

noun

An·​glo-Sax·​on ˌaŋ-glō-ˈsak-sən How to pronounce Anglo-Saxon (audio)
1
: a member of the Germanic peoples conquering England in the fifth century a.d. and forming the ruling class until the Norman conquest compare angle, jute, saxon
2
a
: englishman
specifically : a person descended from the Anglo-Saxons
b
: a white gentile of an English-speaking nation
3
4
: direct plain English
especially : English using words considered crude or vulgar
Anglo-Saxon adjective

Examples of Anglo-Saxon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Case for Nationalism is an exemplar of America’s original identity politics: white, male, and Anglo-Saxon, with the occasional black jazzman making his contribution and with women kept safely offstage. Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2019 When smiley, mop-stressed Ariel saves shipwrecked human passengers and sees Prince Eric (Anglo-Saxon Jonah Hauer-King), she is awestruck. Armond White, National Review, 26 May 2023 It’s been nearly 14 centuries since the monastery founded by St. Hild of Whitby, a prominent abbess in 7th century Anglo-Saxon England, hosted the Northumbrian kingdom’s assembly to discuss the date on which its Christian church would celebrate Easter. Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2023 Featuring the Black Prince's Ruby, the Stuart Sapphire and Cullinan II diamond, in addition to the St. Edward's Sapphire which once belonged to Anglo-Saxon King, Edward the Confessor who died in 1066. Monique Jessen, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2023 Hardy, Edward Thomas, the Anglo-Saxon poems were important early influences. Nick Laird, The New York Review of Books, 16 Mar. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Anglo-Saxones, plural, alteration of Medieval Latin Angli Saxones, from Latin Angli Angles + Late Latin Saxones Saxons

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Anglo-Saxon was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near Anglo-Saxon

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

Anglo-Saxon

noun
An·​glo-Sax·​on
ˌaŋ-glō-ˈsak-sən
1
: a member of the Germanic people who conquered England in the 5th century a.d.
2
: a person whose ancestors were English
3
Anglo-Saxon adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Anglo-Saxon

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