Iliad

American  

[il-ee-uhd] / ˈɪl i əd /

noun

1. (italics) a Greek epic poem describing the siege of Troy, ascribed to Homer.

2. (sometimes lowercase) any similar poem; a long narrative.

3. (often lowercase) a long series of woes, trials, etc.

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Iliad British  

/ ˈɪlɪəd, ˌɪlɪˈædɪk /

noun

1. a Greek epic poem describing the siege of Troy, attributed to Homer and probably composed before 700 _bc

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Other Word Forms

• Iliadic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Iliad

< Latin Iliad- (stem of Ilias ) < Greek, equivalent to Ili ( on ) Troy + -ad- -ad ¹

Compare meaning

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

• Iliad vs. Odyssey

Example Sentences

Altice rejected an offer from Orange, Bouygues Telecom and the Iliad Group for large parts of the group’s French business in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

The Trojan War, most famously described in Homer's epic poem the Iliad, tells of a legendary ten year conflict between Greek forces and the city of Troy, ruled by King Priam.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2026

The instant she finished a novel, she would extol its virtues and demand we go to the Iliad or the Last Bookstore to get the author’s next offering.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026

If the takeover bid is successful, Bouygues would acquire 43 percent of SFR's operations, Iliad 30 percent and Orange 27 percent.

From Barron's • Oct. 14, 2025

In the Trojan War they fought the Greeks under their Queen, Penthesilea, according to a story not in the Iliad, told by Pausanias.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton