Apollonian

American  

[ap-uh-loh-nee-uhn] / ˌæp əˈloʊ ni ən /

adjective

1. pertaining to the cult of Apollo.

2. (lowercase) serene, calm, or well-balanced; poised and disciplined.

3. (lowercase) having the properties of or preferring classic beauty.

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Apollonian British  

/ ˌæpəˈləʊnɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Apollo or the cult of Apollo

2. (sometimes not capital) (in the philosophy of Nietzsche) denoting or relating to the set of static qualities that encompass form, reason, harmony, sobriety, etc

3. (often not capital) harmonious; serene; ordered

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Etymology

Origin of Apollonian

1655–65; < Greek apollṓni ( os ) of Apollo + -an

Compare meaning

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

• Apollonian vs. Dionysian

Example Sentences

But Kennedy is also embarrassing himself by putting out photo and video content meant to prove that he, at age 69, is some kind of Apollonian model of physical perfection.

From Salon • Jul. 19, 2023

Their presence dramatizes the twin energies upon which all creation, in art and life, relies — the Apollonian and Dionysian, yin and yang, form and essence, thesis and antithesis.

From New York Times • Feb. 16, 2023

Perhaps more than most of his peers, he seems to have approached even excesses and transgressions with a certain intellectual detachment, taking an Apollonian perspective on an essentially Dionysian form.

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2022

And so like that sort of Apollonian clarity.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 17, 2018

I’d been born Apollonian, a sun- kissed girl with a face ringed with curls.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides