Menelaus

noun

Men·​e·​la·​us ˌme-nə-ˈlā-əs How to pronounce Menelaus (audio)
: a king of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon, and husband of the abducted Helen of Troy

Examples of Menelaus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Helen married King Menelaus of Sparta, then ran off with Paris from Troy, precipitating the 10-year Trojan War as a Greek alliance fought to get Helen back. Karl Kirchwey, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025 It was supposedly waged by illustrious figures including Priam, Hector, and Paris on the Trojan side, and Menelaus, Agamemnon, Achilles and Odysseus on the other. Nick Hilden, CNN, 10 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Menelaos

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Menelaus was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near Menelaus

Cite this Entry

“Menelaus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Menelaus. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

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