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
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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 22 Jul. 2025.
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