anna karenina: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Literary, Academic, Cultural
Quick answer
What does “anna karenina” mean?
The title character of Leo Tolstoy's 1878 novel, a tragic heroine whose story explores infidelity, social hypocrisy, and personal despair.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The title character of Leo Tolstoy's 1878 novel, a tragic heroine whose story explores infidelity, social hypocrisy, and personal despair.
A cultural and literary reference point representing a tragic, complex female figure, the destructive consequences of societal judgment and forbidden love, or a lengthy, psychologically deep novel. Often used as a shorthand for a profound character study.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling of the character's name is consistent. Pronunciation differs slightly (see IPA). In cultural reference, both varieties use it similarly.
Connotations
Connotations of tragic romance, psychological depth, and classic literature are identical across varieties.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both, limited to literary/academic/culturally-aware discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “anna karenina” in a Sentence
[Subject] is a modern-day Anna Karenina.The novel 'Anna Karenina' explores themes of...Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “anna karenina” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The film had a distinctly Anna-Karenina vibe.
- Her life was turning into an Anna-Karenina-esque tragedy.
American English
- It was an Anna Karenina-level drama.
- He wrote an Anna-Karenina-inspired short story.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. A hypothetical reference might be to a 'corporate Anna Karenina' for a doomed project.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, gender studies, and Russian studies courses.
Everyday
Rare. Might be used among well-read individuals to describe a complex personal situation.
Technical
Not used in technical fields except possibly in the specific 'Anna Karenina principle' in evolutionary biology/statistics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “anna karenina”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “anna karenina”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “anna karenina”
- Misspelling as 'Anna Kerenina' or 'Anna Karenin'.
- Using it as a common noun without capitalization.
- Confusing it with 'War and Peace' (another Tolstoy novel).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, she is a fictional character, though Tolstoy may have been inspired by several contemporary figures and news stories.
The novel explores themes of love, infidelity, family, social change, and the search for meaning, often contrasting Anna's tragic path with other characters' quests for happiness.
In English, it is commonly pronounced kuh-REN-in-uh (/kəˈrɛnɪnə/), with the stress on the second syllable.
Yes, metaphorically. Calling someone 'an Anna Karenina' suggests they are entangled in a complex, emotionally intense, and potentially self-destructive romantic situation.
The title character of Leo Tolstoy's 1878 novel, a tragic heroine whose story explores infidelity, social hypocrisy, and personal despair.
Anna karenina is usually literary, academic, cultural in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “'Anna Karenina principle' (from biology: a factor whose absence is fatal, but presence does not guarantee success).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Anna KareNINA - She Kare-d so much it led to her uNINAugural (first/defining) tragic end in literature.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PERSON IS A LITERARY ARCHETYPE (e.g., 'She's playing the Anna Karenina in this drama'). A COMPLEX SITUATION IS A RUSSIAN NOVEL.
Practice
Quiz
What is 'Anna Karenina' primarily known as?