augustan
|au-gus-tan|
/ɔːˈɡʌstən/
pertaining to Augustus; majestic/classical style
Etymology
'augustan' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'Augustus', where 'augustus' meant 'venerable, majestic'.
'augustan' developed via the Latin/Medieval-Latin adjective formation with suffix '-anus' (from Latin '-anus' meaning 'pertaining to'), producing forms like 'Augustanus' and later entering English as 'Augustan' to mean 'pertaining to Augustus' or his age.
Initially, it meant 'pertaining to Augustus (the emperor)'; over time it broadened to mean 'pertaining to the Augustan period or style' and later was applied to the early 18th-century English literary 'Augustan' movement as well as figuratively to mean 'majestic' or 'stately'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person or writer associated with the Augustan Age or its style; an adherent of Augustan literary principles.
Many Augustans admired Horace and imitated his restraint and irony.
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Adjective 1
relating to the Roman emperor Augustus or to his reign (the period of Augustus).
Scholars studied the augustan administration to understand imperial reforms.
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Adjective 2
relating to or characteristic of the Augustan Age in literature (notably the early 18th-century English period associated with satire, order, and classical imitation).
The poet adopted an augustan tone, favoring classical allusion and controlled form.
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Last updated: 2025/11/19 05:42