Olympian

1 of 4

adjective (1)

Olym·​pi·​an ə-ˈlim-pē-ən 

ō-

1

: of or relating to, or inhabiting Mount Olympus in Thessaly

Olympian gods

2

: befitting, characteristic of, or suggestive of the gods conceived as inhabiting Mount Olympus : lofty

Olympian detachment

… his … formula of glib simplicity and Olympian arrogance …

—Richard Pollak

It was all said with an Olympian calm.

—James Clavell

In 1961 Mumford was 66 years old and an Olympian figure in American culture.

—The New York Times Book Review

Olympian

2 of 4

adjective (2)

1

: of or relating to the ancient Greek region of Olympia

2

: of, relating to, or constituting the Olympic Games

Olympian

3 of 4

noun (1)

plural Olympians

1

: a participant in Olympic Games

To be an alltime Olympian, you can't just be 23 and dominate over a four-year span. You have to age, battle time and remain on top.

—S. L. Price

2

: a native or inhabitant of Olympia

Olympian

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural Olympians

1

: one of the ancient Greek deities dwelling on Olympus

… has suggested to some that he was a new god, accepted late into the Greek pantheon of Olympians.

—M. C. Howatson

2

: a being of lofty detachment or superior attainments

Did you know?

The Greek gods lived high atop Mt. Olympus, which allowed them to watch what went on in the human realm below and intervene as they saw fit. They insisted on being properly worshipped by humans, but otherwise tended to treat the affairs of these weak and short-lived creatures almost like a sport. So Olympian describes someone who seems "lofty" and "above it all", as if surveying a scene in which other people appear the size of ants. The Olympic Games were first celebrated in the 8th century B.C., at the religious site called Olympia (far from Mt. Olympus), and Olympian today actually most often refers to Olympic athletes.

Examples of Olympian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Opposite Matt Anderson has grown from being the youngest player on the 2012 squad at 25 years old to a four-time Olympian and married father of two. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2024

Jones also put up 12 first-half points despite a difficult matchup with Phoenix’s Olympian center Brittney Griner. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2024

Morgan, a three-time Olympian and two-time Women’s World Cup winner, was the most notable absence on the 18-player list announced Wednesday by Hayes. —Anne M Peterson, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2024

That gesture indirectly led to Weber’s first Olympian encounter — Ireland’s Natalya Coyle, a three-time modern pentathlon competitor, reached out for embroidery for her wedding gown. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 24 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Olympian

• Olympian Games

Kids Definition

Olympian

1 of 4 adjective

Olym·​pi·​an ə-ˈlim-pē-ən 

ō-

1

: of or relating to Olympus

2

: relating to or proper for one of the Greek gods of Olympus : lofty

Olympian

2 of 4 adjective

1

: of or relating to the ancient Greek region of Olympia

2

: olympic sense 2

Olympian

3 of 4 noun

: an athlete who competes in the Olympic Games

Olympian

4 of 4 noun

: one of the Greek gods living on Olympus