Wagnerian

1 of 2

adjective

Wag·​ne·​ri·​an väg-ˈnir-ē-ən How to pronounce Wagnerian (audio) -ˈner- How to pronounce Wagnerian (audio)
: of, relating to, characteristic, or suggestive of Wagner or his music, stage operas, or theories

Wagnerian

2 of 2

noun

: an admirer of the musical theories and style of Wagner

Examples of Wagnerian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Hitler and Film: The Führer's Hidden Passion By Bill Niven Yale University Press, 2018, 312 pp. Loading... Hitler’s passion for art, architecture, and Wagnerian opera is common knowledge. Bill Niven, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2018 The Toto score for Dune was Wagnerian and powerful, yet the band never composed the soundtrack for another movie. Max Evry, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2023 Francis Ford Coppola, who directed the film, and Walter Murch, who edited the soundtrack, undoubtedly intended it to have a critical component, aligning the bloodthirsty Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore with the Wagnerian generals of war movies past. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Wagnerian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Richard Wagner

First Known Use

Adjective

1868, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Wagnerian was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near Wagnerian

Cite this Entry

“Wagnerian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Wagnerian. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

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