hamlet

1 of 2

noun (1)

ham·​let ˈham-lət How to pronounce hamlet (audio)
: a small village

Hamlet

2 of 2

noun (2)

Ham·​let ˈham-lət How to pronounce Hamlet (audio)
: a legendary Danish prince and hero of Shakespeare's play Hamlet

Examples of hamlet in a Sentence

Noun (1) she always longed to return to the quiet hamlet where she had been born
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Country Girl Diner, Chester, VT: Tucked in the middle of this southwest Vermont hamlet is a true historic representation of a classic diner; one that’s still fully functioning. Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 18 June 2025 The liveliness extends to the villages as the Cinque Terre Express trains bring a consistent stream of travelers excited to explore each hamlet’s personality. Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 17 June 2025 And while the epicenter of this movement is in Hardwick, Vermont – a town of 1,000 people that has transformed itself from a hardscrabble rural hamlet into a mecca of food and sustainability – the impacts go well beyond it. Riley Robinson, Christian Science Monitor, 8 June 2025 The property is not far from where the singer grew up in the nearby Oyster Bay hamlet of Hicksville. Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for hamlet

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French hamelet, diminutive of ham village, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English hām village, home

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hamlet was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hamlet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hamlet. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

hamlet

noun
ham·​let ˈham-lət How to pronounce hamlet (audio)
: a small village

More from Merriam-Webster on hamlet

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