Hellenistic

adjective

Hel·​le·​nis·​tic ˌhe-lə-ˈni-stik How to pronounce Hellenistic (audio)
1
: of or relating to Greek history, culture, or art after Alexander the Great
2
: of or relating to the Hellenists
Hellenistically adverb

Examples of Hellenistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But come the Hellenistic age, which began around 323 B.C.E., the Greeks started depicting satyrs as half-man, half-goat, with caprine legs, hooves and horns—the anatomy found in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson children’s novels. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Aug. 2024 The statue is a replica of the original created in the 16th century by sculptor Giambologna, who was influenced by Hellenistic sculpture and the works of Michelangelo and who settled in Florence in 1552. Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 17 July 2024 As with Plotinus, the Hellenistic founder of Neoplatonic philosophy, Viola’s installation proposes memory as a perceptual function that allows a human soul to acknowledge its own existence. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2024 Sturt Manning, lead author of the study and a professor from Cornell University alluding to the shipwreck told Interesting Engineering that the Kyrenia Ship is an iconic ship from the early Hellenistic period central to the history of ancient maritime technology. Shubhangi Dua, Interesting Engineering, 26 June 2024 To draw attention to the ancient world’s fascination with gold, there will be 181 gold pieces from the Hellenistic period and a selection of ancient jewelry, helmets and chainmail covering three millennia across Egypt, the Mediterranean coast and the pre-Hispanic Americas. Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019 Listing image by Espressif Enlarge / Archaeologists used cosmic rays to detect a secret underground burial chamber from the Hellenistic period in Naples, circa late fourth century/early third century BCE. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 15 May 2023 The moat was likely used through the Hellenistic period, when it was ultimately filled in. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024 Alexander’s expansive empire marked what historians call the Hellenistic period, which lasted from his death to the rise of the Roman Empire. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 9 Jan. 2024

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

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of Hellenistic was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near Hellenistic

Cite this Entry

“Hellenistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hellenistic. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

Hellenistic

adjective
Hel·​le·​nis·​tic ˌhel-ə-ˈnis-tik How to pronounce Hellenistic (audio)
: of or relating to the widespread Greek-based culture that developed after the conquests of Alexander the Great
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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