Antigone

American  

[an-tig-uh-nee] / ænˈtɪg əˌni /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta who defied her uncle, King Creon, by performing funeral rites over her brother, Polynices, and was condemned to be immured alive in a cave.

2. (italics) a tragedy (c440 b.c.) by Sophocles.

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Antigone British  

/ ænˈtɪɡənɪ /

noun

1. Greek myth daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, who was condemned to death for cremating the body of her brother Polynices in defiance of an edict of her uncle, King Creon of Thebes

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Antigone ¹ Cultural  

1. In classical mythology, a daughter of King Oedipus. Her two brothers killed each other in single combat over the kingship of their city. Although burial or cremation of the dead was a religious obligation among the Greeks, the king forbade the burial of one of the brothers, for he was considered a traitor. Antigone, torn between her religious and legal obligations, disobeyed the king's order and buried her brother. She was then condemned to death for her crime.

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Antigone ² Cultural  

1. A tragedy by Sophocles. It concerns the punishment of Antigone for burying her brother, an act that was forbidden because he had rebelled against his own city. Antigone argues that the burial is required by divine law as opposed to human law.

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Discover More

The Greek playwright Sophocles tells her story in Antigone, a play that deals with the conflict between human laws and the laws of the gods.

Compare meaning

How does antigone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Antigone vs. Creon

Example Sentences

When Ismene complains, “Wouldn’t it have been ok to just let things be . . . quiet for a while? Not to make drama,” Antigone snaps, “Isn’t making drama, like, our inheritance?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Reid’s Merope and Reis’ Antigone, ferocious in their different ways, refuse to play second fiddle to Manville’s Jocasta when it comes to Oedipus’ affections.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2025

“What’s missing is a deeper discussion on how we implement protections,” said Antigone Davis, Meta’s head of safety.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 8, 2024

But Antigone evades them and sprinkles dust over her brother’s corpse.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2024

It was Antigone who symbolized our struggle; she was, in her own way, a freedom fighter, for she defied the law on the grounds that it was unjust.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela