Pre-Raphaelite
noun
Pre-Ra·pha·el·ite
(ˌ)prē-ˈra-fē-ə-ˌlīt 
-ˈrā-,
-ˈrä-
1
a
: a member of a brotherhood of artists formed in England in 1848 to restore the artistic principles and practices regarded as characteristic of Italian art before Raphael
b
: an artist or writer influenced by this brotherhood
2
: a modern artist dedicated to restoring early Renaissance ideals or methods
Pre-Raphaelite
adjective
Examples of Pre-Raphaelite in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cowgirls, grunge girls, hippie chicks, hula girls, Mods, Pre-Raphaelite maidens, and surfers are some of the territories that her designs have come up with.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 29 Jan. 2025
Baker has a mop of Pre-Raphaelite bangs and an open smile.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 June 2024
The Pre-Raphaelite artist, designer, and utopian socialist William Morris took a run at Homer in 1887 and hit the wall hard.
—Anahid Nersessian, The New York Review of Books, 29 June 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 29 Jan. 2025
Baker has a mop of Pre-Raphaelite bangs and an open smile.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 June 2024
The Pre-Raphaelite artist, designer, and utopian socialist William Morris took a run at Homer in 1887 and hit the wall hard.
—Anahid Nersessian, The New York Review of Books, 29 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Pre-Raphaelite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pre-Raphaelite. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share