Shakespearean

or Shake·spear·i·an

[ sheyk-speer-ee-uhn ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or suggestive of Shakespeare or his works.

noun

1. a Shakespearean scholar; a specialist in the study of the works of Shakespeare.

Shakespearean

/ ʃeɪkˈspɪərɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Shakespeare or his works

noun

1. a student of or specialist in Shakespeare's works

Other Words From

• Shake·speare·an·ism Shake·speari·an·ism noun
• half-Shake·speare·an adjective
• non-Shake·speare·an adjective
• non-Shake·speari·an adjective
• post-Shake·speare·an adjective
• post-Shake·speari·an adjective
• pre-Shake·speare·an adjective
• pre-Shake·speari·an adjective
• pseudo-Shake·speare·an adjective
• pseudo-Shake·speari·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Shakespearean¹

First recorded in 1810–20; Shakespeare + -an

Example Sentences

This giddy revival has no interest in playing by the normal Shakespearean rules.

From Los Angeles Times

“Now only the voters can prevent a scenario in which Smith’s filing is but the prologue to a national Shakespearean tragedy.”

From Salon

“It was very powerful to me to read the actual words unspun, straight from the source,” she recalled, adding that as a spoken word artist, the language had a Shakespearean quality.

From Salon

“I always think of our Universal Monsters films as Shakespearean tragedies,” Murdy says.

From Los Angeles Times

"I was not waltzing across a stage and practising my Shakespearean prose."

From BBC