Coriolanus

American

[kawr-ee-uh-ley-nuhs, kor-] / ˌkɔr i əˈleɪ nəs, ˌkɒr- /

noun

Gaius (or Gnaeus) Marcius flourished late 5th century b.c., legendary Roman military hero.
(italics) a tragedy (1608?) by Shakespeare.

Coriolanus British

/ ˌkɒrɪəˈleɪnəs /

noun

Gaius Marcius (ˈɡaɪəs ˈmɑːsɪəs). 5th century _bc , a legendary Roman general, who allegedly led an army against Rome but was dissuaded from conquering it by his mother and wife

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“The Tragedy of Coriolanus” presents a more complex and even vexing view of its title character and his rise and fall.

From The Wall Street Journal

The frequent shouting is particularly unfortunate because Coriolanus is by nature not a man of words.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Mr. Belcher doesn’t succeed in making Coriolanus’ wariness of empty words a mark of his nobility of spirit—imperfect though it is.

From The Wall Street Journal

The other most celebrated role in the play is Coriolanus’ mother, Volumnia, whose pride in her son’s martial prowess borders on bloodthirstiness.

From The Wall Street Journal

As Volumnia’s temperamental opposite, Coriolanus’ wife, Virgilia, who all but swoons at the mere mention of blood, Meredith Garretson looks strikingly chic in a dark-red blouse and skirt, but her performance in this admittedly rather thankless role is colorless.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023