Alexandrian

1 of 2

adjective

Al·​ex·​an·​dri·​an ˌa-lig-ˈzan-drē-ən 

ˌe-

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Alexandria and especially Alexandria, Egypt

2

: hellenistic

3

: of or relating to Alexander the Great

Alexandrian

2 of 2

noun

plural Alexandrians

: a native or inhabitant of Alexandria

Examples of Alexandrian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ever since the third century B.C.E., when the Ptolemaic dynasty erected a monumental lighthouse on the Alexandrian coast, people have been fiddling with combinations of fire, mirrors, and lenses, in the hope of producing a stronger beacon. —Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023

Hair-raising accounts of a similar sea monster were recorded by Alexandrian scribes as early as the second century A.D.; these accounts spread through Europe and Asia in Arabic, Coptic, Latin and Old English translations. —Nina Goldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1539, in the meaning defined above