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
In more recent years, though, there has been a countermovement to restore Paul to a more credible Hellenistic context.
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Patrons didn’t need to know this statue was gasp Hellenistic instead.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
On Alexander the Great and Hellenistic homophobia.
—Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2026
The site was founded in the late Hellenistic period, between the second and first centuries BC, when it was used as a fortress.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
This was in response to the flood of philosophical writings in the ancient Near East and Hellenistic world.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2025
Archaeologists took over the excavation and identified the structure as a Hellenistic stone tomb dating back to the fourth century B.C., officials said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Unusually, Queen Berenice II, the wife of Hellenistic ruler Ptolemy III, appears as the face of political power.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 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
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Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Patrons didn’t need to know this statue was gasp Hellenistic instead.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Apr. 2026
On Alexander the Great and Hellenistic homophobia.
—Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2026
The site was founded in the late Hellenistic period, between the second and first centuries BC, when it was used as a fortress.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025
This was in response to the flood of philosophical writings in the ancient Near East and Hellenistic world.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2025
Archaeologists took over the excavation and identified the structure as a Hellenistic stone tomb dating back to the fourth century B.C., officials said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Unusually, Queen Berenice II, the wife of Hellenistic ruler Ptolemy III, appears as the face of political power.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 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
Cite this Entry
“Hellenistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Hellenistic. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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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