baconian
|ba-con-i-an|
🇺🇸
/ˌbeɪˈkoʊniən/
🇬🇧
/ˌbeɪˈkəʊniən/
related to Bacon
Etymology
'baconian' originates from the English surname 'Bacon' combined with the adjectival suffix '-ian', where '-ian' meant 'belonging to; relating to'.
'baconian' was formed in Early Modern English by attaching the suffix '-ian' to the name 'Bacon' (notably used of Francis Bacon in the 17th century) and developed into the modern adjective 'baconian' meaning 'relating to Bacon or his ideas'.
Initially it simply indicated relation to the name 'Bacon' (family or person), but over time it evolved to mean specifically 'relating to Francis Bacon, his methods, or doctrines' and to label theories or ciphers associated with him.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who advocates or follows the ideas of Francis Bacon; especially a supporter of the Baconian theory (that Bacon authored works attributed to others, e.g. Shakespeare).
She is a baconian who argues that Bacon wrote Hamlet.
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Adjective 1
relating to or characteristic of Francis Bacon, his philosophical or scientific methods (especially empirical methods).
He adopted a baconian approach to scientific inquiry.
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Adjective 2
relating to the Baconian cipher or methods of concealment and encoding associated with Francis Bacon.
They discovered a baconian cipher hidden in the manuscript.
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Last updated: 2025/12/28 13:04