Minerva

[ mi-nur-vuh ]

noun
  1. the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts, identified with the Greek goddess Athena.

  2. a woman of great wisdom.

  1. a female given name.

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Origin of Minerva

1
First recorded before 1000 for def. 1; 1780–85 for def. 2; from Latin Minerva, earlier Menerva, from unattested Meneswā, perhaps meaning “intelligent, wise (woman),” or “woman who measures (the phases of the moon)”

Words Nearby Minerva

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Minerva in a sentence

  • The feast of Minerva lasted five days, when offerings were made by all mechanics, artists, and scholars.

  • At this time the minds of our yachtsmen were sorely fretted by the performance of the cutter 'Minerva' from Scotland.

    Yachting Vol. 2 | Various.
  • But a new art does not rise from the mind of a nation as Minerva is said to have risen from the head of Jupiter.

British Dictionary definitions for Minerva

Minerva

/ (mɪˈnɜːvə) /


noun
  1. the Roman goddess of wisdom: Greek counterpart: Athena

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Minerva

Minerva

The Roman name of Athena, the Greek and Roman goddess of wisdom.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.