hieratic

adjective

hi·er·at·ic | \ ˌhī-(ə-)ˈra-tik

How to pronounce hieratic (audio)

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Definition of hieratic

1 : constituting or belonging to a cursive form of ancient Egyptian writing simpler than the hieroglyphic

2 : sacerdotal

3 : highly stylized or formal hieratic poses

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Examples of hieratic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The golden aura of its mosaics; the hieratic posture of religious figures; its spirituality. — Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, "“His Gaze Doesn’t Impose, But Reveals”: Inside the Paolo Roversi Exhibition in Ravenna, Italy," 12 Oct. 2020 Dench inhabits her hieratic role with wisdom, grace, nobility, and a sense of moment; Elba invests Macavity with fierce and insinuating power. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "“Cats” Could Have Been a Contender," 27 Dec. 2019 Napoleon’s stature here is magnified by the hieratic frontality of his pose and the fact that the image fills almost the entire canvas. — Benjamin Shull, WSJ, "Portraiture as Propaganda," 17 Aug. 2018 This impact of Owens’s hieratic wife and muse, the golden-toothed, henna-tattooed Michele Lamy, is also omnipresent, not least because her unique cackling laugh, mixed into a show-reel soundtrack, rings through the exhibition. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "In Milan, Hamish Bowles Examines the Creative Mind With Exhibitions on Rick Owens and Ettore Sottsass," 22 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hieratic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“Hieratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hieratic. Accessed 10 Apr. 2021.

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