adj · name · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/mɪˈnəʊən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -əʊən
CMU ARPABET:M AH0 N OW1 AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age (about 3000-1050 B.C.E.).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of or relating to the writing systems (Linear A and Linear B) used in Crete and later in mainland Greece.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Of or relating to the ancient language of the Minoans which died out by the beginning of the 1st millennium B.C.E.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
name
Meaning 4
The language written in Linear A.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A person who belonged to the Minoan civilization.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective
Meaning 6
of or relating to or characteristic of the Bronze Age culture of Crete
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the Minoan palace at Knossos
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
a Cretan who lived in the bronze-age culture of Crete about 3000-1100 BC
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Cretan
History
Etymology
Sir Arthur Evans, not knowing the Minoan term for “Minoan” at the time, coined this name in the early 20th century, from Ancient Greek Μίνως (Mínōs), the mythical king of Crete. The actual name is probably reflected in Egyptian kftjw (perhaps reconstructible as *Káftayu) and Biblical Hebrew כַּפְתּוֹר (Kaftor, “Caphthor”).
Across languages
Translations
40 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مِينُوسِيّ
(mīnūsiyy)
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Arabic:
مِينُوسِيَّة
(mīnūsiyya)
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Catalan:
minoic
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Chinese Mandarin:
米诺斯
(mǐnuòsī)
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Dutch:
Minoïsch
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Finnish:
minolainen
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
French:
minoen
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
German:
minoisch
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Greek:
μινωικός
(minoïkós)
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Hungarian:
minószi
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Italian:
minoico
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Japanese:
ミノア
(minoa)
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Lithuanian:
Minojo
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Marathi:
मिनोअन
(minoan)
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Norwegian Bokmål:
minoisk
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Norwegian Nynorsk:
minoisk
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Polish:
kreteński
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Portuguese:
minoico
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Romanian:
minoic
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Romanian:
minoian
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Russian:
минойский
(minojskij)
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Serbo-Croatian:
minojska
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Sicilian:
minùicu
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Sicilian:
minòicu
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Slovene:
minojski
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Spanish:
minoico
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Thai:
ไมนอส
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Ukrainian:
мінойський
(minojsʹkyj)
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
Welsh:
Minoaidd
— Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age
