Caliban

noun

Cal·​i·​ban ˈka-lə-ˌban How to pronounce Caliban (audio)
: a savage and deformed slave in Shakespeare's The Tempest

Examples of Caliban in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Yet Fitzgerald identifies a contradiction: Prospero will inform, Ariel will entertain, but Caliban is to be educated—two active figures and one passive. Matt Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 30 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Caliban.' 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

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Caliban was circa 1616

Dictionary Entries Near Caliban

Cite this Entry

“Caliban.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Caliban. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

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