Greek

1 of 2

noun

ˈgrēk 

1

a

: a native or inhabitant of ancient or modern Greece

b

: a person of Greek descent

2

a

: the language used by the Greeks from prehistoric times to the present constituting a branch of Indo-European see Indo-European Languages Table

b

: ancient Greek as used from the time of the earliest records to the end of the second century a.d. see Indo-European Languages Table

c

often not capitalized [translation of Latin Graecum (in the medieval phrase Graecum est; non potest legi It is Greek; it cannot be read)] : something unintelligible

it's Greek to me

3

: a member of a Greek-letter fraternity or sorority

Greek

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Greece, the Greeks, or Greek

Greek architecture

2

a

: eastern orthodox

b

: of or relating to an Eastern church using the Byzantine rite in Greek

c

: of or relating to the established Orthodox church of Greece

3

: of or relating to fraternities or sororities

the Greek system

Examples of Greek in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Members hail from three main Christian denominations: Antiochian Greek Orthodox, Antiochian Melkite Catholics and Antiochian Syriac Orthodox. —Chris Massaro, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025

According to the statement, the workshop consisted of multiple kilns; storage areas; and 32 ostraca, or pottery shards, with commercial transactions written in Greek and Demotic scripts. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025

Adjective

In the third century BC, for instance, the ancient Greek mathematician Eratosthenes estimated the circumference of the Earth—roughly 25,000 miles—by measuring shadows cast by the sun in just two cities about 500 miles apart. —Leila Sloman, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2025

Smells like teen spirit As bloody and grim as Greek myths have always been, Santa Monica Studio established even darker trappings with 2005’s God of War. —Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English Greke, from Old English Grēca, from Latin Graecus, from Greek Graikos

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Greek

• Greek Catholic
• Greek cross
• Greek fire
• Greek Orthodox
• Greek Revival
• Greek salad
• Late Greek
• Middle Greek
• Modern Greek

Rhymes for Greek

• beak
• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• chic
• clique
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• leak

Kids Definition

Greek

noun

ˈgrēk

1

a

: a person born or living in Greece

b

: a person of Greek ancestry

2

: the Indo-European language of the Greeks

Greek adjective