Ptolemaic
adjective
Ptol·e·ma·ic
ˌtä-lə-ˈmā-ik 
1
: of or relating to the second century geographer and astronomer Ptolemy of Alexandria and especially to his belief that the earth is at the center of the universe with the sun, moon, and planets revolving around it
the Ptolemaic system
2
: of or relating to the Greco-Egyptian Ptolemies ruling Egypt from 323 to 30 b.c.
Examples of Ptolemaic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After that, the wider region was ruled by two Macedonian empires: Egypt’s Ptolemaic kingdom, a dynasty founded by Ptolemy I Soter in 305 B.C.E., and the Seleucid kingdom, founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 312 B.C.E. Both founders had served as generals under Alexander the Great.
—
Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
After scanning the Bashiri Mummy, researchers determined that this was the mummy of an adult man who stood about 5.5 feet tall and lived during the Ptolemaic Era, which lasted from 305 B.C.E to 30 B.C.E., making this mummy around 2,300 years old.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 24 Mar. 2025
The tombs that the team identified recently date specifically to the Ptolemaic period.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
The area is rich with sites from the New Kingdom, Ptolemaic, and Roman periods.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025
Among them were amulets and a sculpture of a king from the Ptolemaic dynasty more than 2,000 years ago.
—James Barron, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2025
Part of his stash included gold amulets from a funerary set, a relief with the cartouche of a Ptolemaic king that was originally part of a royal building or temple, and wooden tomb model figures with linen garments dating to approximately 1900 BCE, prosecutors said.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2025
The galleries are categorized according to three themes — religion, kingship, and society — and divided into historical eras: Predynastic, the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, the Late Kingdom, Ptolemaic (Greek) Egypt, and the Roman period.
—Kate McMahon, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2025
Officials estimate that the artifacts date back to the Ptolemaic era, when Macedonian Greeks controlled Egypt from 305 BC to 30 BC.
—Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 18 Dec. 2024
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Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
After scanning the Bashiri Mummy, researchers determined that this was the mummy of an adult man who stood about 5.5 feet tall and lived during the Ptolemaic Era, which lasted from 305 B.C.E to 30 B.C.E., making this mummy around 2,300 years old.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 24 Mar. 2025
The tombs that the team identified recently date specifically to the Ptolemaic period.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
The area is rich with sites from the New Kingdom, Ptolemaic, and Roman periods.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025
Among them were amulets and a sculpture of a king from the Ptolemaic dynasty more than 2,000 years ago.
—James Barron, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2025
Part of his stash included gold amulets from a funerary set, a relief with the cartouche of a Ptolemaic king that was originally part of a royal building or temple, and wooden tomb model figures with linen garments dating to approximately 1900 BCE, prosecutors said.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2025
The galleries are categorized according to three themes — religion, kingship, and society — and divided into historical eras: Predynastic, the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, the Late Kingdom, Ptolemaic (Greek) Egypt, and the Roman period.
—Kate McMahon, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2025
Officials estimate that the artifacts date back to the Ptolemaic era, when Macedonian Greeks controlled Egypt from 305 BC to 30 BC.
—Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 18 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Ptolemaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ptolemaic. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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