Hellenic

[ he-len-ik, -lee-nik ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the ancient Greeks or their language, culture, thought, etc., especially before the time of Alexander the Great. Compare Hellenistic ( def 3 ).
2. Greek ( def 1 ).

noun

1. Also called Greek. a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, comprising a variety of ancient, medieval, and modern dialects and languages, all of them called Greek.
2. Katharevusa.

Hellenic

/ hɛˈlɛnɪk; -ˈliː- /

adjective

1. of or relating to the ancient or modern Greeks or their language
2. of or relating to ancient Greece or the Greeks of the classical period (776–323 bc ) Compare Hellenistic
3. another word for Greek

noun

1. a branch of the Indo-European family of languages consisting of Greek in its various ancient and modern dialects

Derived Forms

• Helˈlenically, adverb

Other Words From

• an·ti-Hel·len·ic adjective
• Hel·len·i·cal·ly adverb
• non-Hel·len·ic adjective
• pre-Hel·len·ic adjective
• pro-Hel·len·ic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hellenic¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from Greek Hellēnikós “of, pertaining to the Greeks”; Hellene, -ic

Example Sentences

The Greek environmental groups Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, the Hellenic Ornithological Society and the Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles have joined the complaint.

From Seattle Times

A man in the northern port city of Rijeka was hospitalized last weekend after consuming Romerquelle Emotion, a flavored, carbonated drink distributed by Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, a distributing partner of Coca-Cola.

From New York Times

“We welcome the clarity that the test results will bring for our consumers and customers after the uncertainty of the last few days,” Coca-Cola Hellenic said in a statement.

From Washington Times

Various cetacean species are known to inhabit the Hellenic Trench off Greece in the summer, but until now little has been known about their winter whereabouts.

From Science Daily

Roman Glass had won a Hellenic League Premier Division match at Longlevens in Gloucester and were travelling home at about 23:30 BST when the incident happened.

From BBC

Related Words

• classic
• humanistic