Shake·spear·ean
variants
or Shakespearian
or less commonly Shaksperean
or Shaksperian
1
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of Shakespeare or his writings
2
: evocative of a theme, setting, or event from a work of Shakespeare
Shakespearean pageantry
variants
or Shakespearian
or less commonly Shaksperean
or Shaksperian
: an authority on or devotee of Shakespeare
Examples of Shakespearean in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2023
There is, of course, our old friend Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), leader of the Autobots, who transforms out of a cool red Freightliner semi-truck and issues his commands in a voice that’s noble, stentorian, maybe even a dash Shakespearean.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 June 2023
By contrast, anti-Stratfordians regard themselves as a valiant band storming the citadel of entrenched but mistaken Shakespearean orthodoxy.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2023
The festival, which changed its name from the Oregon Shakespearean Festival to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1988, had a busy schedule for many years, typically programming as many as 11 plays, in a season that began in February and generally continued through late October.
—Kturnqui, oregonlive, 12 Apr. 2023
Noun
Who among us would enjoy showing up to work after being demoted, knowing all the colleagues who voted to strip away our dream job?
Shakespearean?
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2023
There is, of course, our old friend Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), leader of the Autobots, who transforms out of a cool red Freightliner semi-truck and issues his commands in a voice that’s noble, stentorian, maybe even a dash Shakespearean.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 June 2023
By contrast, anti-Stratfordians regard themselves as a valiant band storming the citadel of entrenched but mistaken Shakespearean orthodoxy.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2023
The festival, which changed its name from the Oregon Shakespearean Festival to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1988, had a busy schedule for many years, typically programming as many as 11 plays, in a season that began in February and generally continued through late October.
—Kturnqui, oregonlive, 12 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Shakespearean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Shakespearean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Shakespearean. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
Shakespearean
adjective
Shake·spear·ean
variants
or Shakespearian
shāk-ˈspir-ē-ən
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of Shakespeare or his writings
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