Mycenaean

adjective

My·​ce·​nae·​an ˌmī-sə-ˈnē-ən How to pronounce Mycenaean (audio)
variants or less commonly Mycenian
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Mycenae, its people, or the period (1400 to 1100 b.c.) of Mycenae's political ascendancy
2
: characteristic of the Bronze Age Mycenaean culture of the eastern Mediterranean area
Mycenaean noun

Examples of Mycenaean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The cave at its far end was a site of Mycenaean goddess worship, and relics recovered from it include a set of bronze tripods which fit Homer’s description of gifts that Odysseus received from the Phaeacians. Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023

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

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Mycenaean was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near Mycenaean

Cite this Entry

“Mycenaean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mycenaean. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!