Hellenistic
adjective
Hel·le·nis·tic
ˌhe-lə-ˈni-stik 
1
: of or relating to Greek history, culture, or art after Alexander the Great
2
: of or relating to the Hellenists
Examples of Hellenistic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Officials did not provide an exact age for the tomb but dated it to the Hellenistic period, which began in Cyprus around 300 B.C. and ended in 58 B.C. when the ancient Roman empire took control of the island, according to The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
—
Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
The items show that the city’s inhabitants were open to adopting Hellenistic cultural trends, lifestyle and architecture — which differs from traditional interpretations from ancient texts about Jerusalem.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 May 2025
But as Schmitt tells Live Science, Nineveh’s Hellenistic period isn’t well documented.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
The region’s Hellenistic period—named for pervasive Greek influence—began back in 332 B.C.E., when Palestine was conquered by Macedonian King Alexander the Great.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
The consoling notion of divine impregnation was commonplace in the Hellenistic world, with countless tales of gods foisting demigods on virgins.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Charcoal samples extracted from the plaster nuclei of two of the cave pearls were dated to around the time of the Hellenistic period (332–63 B.C.).
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Other artifacts being returned include a Hellenistic statuette of the mythical heroine Atalanta, an aryballos depicting a battle scene from 600-500 BCE, and a Dionysian kantharos from the 4th century BCE.
—Karen K. Ho For Artnews, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2025
Petra’s location linking East and West—which swiftly enriched the city and, by extension, the entire Nabataean Kingdom—is reflected in its distinctive rock-cut architecture, which infuses Nabataean architecture with Hellenistic and Byzantine features.
—Hannah Edgar, ARTnews.com, 25 Feb. 2025
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Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
The items show that the city’s inhabitants were open to adopting Hellenistic cultural trends, lifestyle and architecture — which differs from traditional interpretations from ancient texts about Jerusalem.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 May 2025
But as Schmitt tells Live Science, Nineveh’s Hellenistic period isn’t well documented.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
The region’s Hellenistic period—named for pervasive Greek influence—began back in 332 B.C.E., when Palestine was conquered by Macedonian King Alexander the Great.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
The consoling notion of divine impregnation was commonplace in the Hellenistic world, with countless tales of gods foisting demigods on virgins.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025
Charcoal samples extracted from the plaster nuclei of two of the cave pearls were dated to around the time of the Hellenistic period (332–63 B.C.).
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Other artifacts being returned include a Hellenistic statuette of the mythical heroine Atalanta, an aryballos depicting a battle scene from 600-500 BCE, and a Dionysian kantharos from the 4th century BCE.
—Karen K. Ho For Artnews, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2025
Petra’s location linking East and West—which swiftly enriched the city and, by extension, the entire Nabataean Kingdom—is reflected in its distinctive rock-cut architecture, which infuses Nabataean architecture with Hellenistic and Byzantine features.
—Hannah Edgar, ARTnews.com, 25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hellenistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hellenistic. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Hellenistic
adjective
Hel·le·nis·tic
ˌhel-ə-ˈnis-tik
: of or relating to the widespread Greek-based culture that developed after the conquests of Alexander the Great
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