adj · 3 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
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General-American:/ɔɹˈwɛli.ən/
UK:/ɔːˈwɛli.ən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AO2 R W EH1 L IY0 AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Resembling the totalitarian political methods decried in the works of writer George Orwell, particularly in the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four; characterized by use of misleading terminology, propaganda, censorship, surveillance and repression.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Resembling, or having to do with, George Orwell, and especially his novel 1984.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
of or relating to the works of George Orwell (especially his picture of a future totalitarian state)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English Orwell Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Latin -nus Latin -ānus Latin -iānusbor. English -ian English Orwellian From Orwell + -ian.
Across languages
Translations
21 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
أَرْوَلِيٌّ
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Catalan:
orwel·lià
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Czech:
orwellovský
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Danish:
orwellsk
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Dutch:
Orwelliaans
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Dutch:
orwelliaans
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Finnish:
orwellilainen
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
French:
orwellien
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Greek:
οργουελικός
(orgouelikós)
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Italian:
orwelliano
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Norwegian Bokmål:
orwellsk
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Norwegian Nynorsk:
orwellsk
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Occitan:
orwellian
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Persian:
اورولی
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Polish:
orwellowski
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Portuguese:
orwelliano
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Russian:
оруэлловский
(oruellovskij)
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Russian:
о́руэлльский
(óruellʹskij)
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Spanish:
orwelliano
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Swedish:
orwellsk
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
Turkish:
Orwellyen
— of or relating to Orwell, especially his dystopian novels
