grecize: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowFormal, Academic, Literary
Quick answer
What does “grecize” mean?
To make something Greek in character, form, or style.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To make something Greek in character, form, or style; to adopt or imitate Greek customs, language, or artistic forms.
To translate or render something into Greek; to Hellenize; to conform to or imitate Greek models, especially in language, literature, or culture.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, the spelling 'grecise' is a very rare, archaic alternative. American English more consistently uses 'grecize'. Both nations use it primarily in academic or historical contexts.
Connotations
Scholarly, historical, sometimes with a nuance of deliberate cultural adoption or affectation.
Frequency
Extremely rare in everyday speech in both varieties. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British academic writing due to classical studies traditions.
Grammar
How to Use “grecize” in a Sentence
[Subject] grecized [Object] (transitive)[Object] was grecized (passive)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “grecize” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Roman authors often sought to grecise their literary models.
- The conquered region was gradually grecised over several centuries.
American English
- The poet attempted to grecize the Roman myth in his translation.
- Alexandrian scholars grecized many foreign scientific texts.
adverb
British English
- The play was written grecisely, with choruses and masks.
adjective
British English
- The grecised version of the name was 'Ariston'.
- A grecising tendency was evident in their architecture.
American English
- The grecized liturgy felt unfamiliar to the local congregation.
- He preferred the grecized spelling of the philosophical term.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in classical studies, history, and philology to describe the adoption of Greek language or cultural forms by other societies (e.g., Roman, Byzantine).
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Used in historical linguistics and art history.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “grecize”
- Misspelling as 'greacize' or 'greccize'.
- Using it to mean simply 'to visit Greece'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are synonyms. 'Hellenize' is more commonly used in modern academic writing, while 'grecize' is older and less frequent.
It is almost exclusively used in historical or scholarly contexts referring to ancient or classical influences. Using it for modern adoption of Greek elements would be stylistically marked and archaic.
'Grecization' (or 'Grecisation') is the standard noun, though 'Hellenization' is far more common.
It is exceptionally rare in both, with a slight edge perhaps to British English due to its longer tradition of classical education, but the difference is negligible.
To make something Greek in character, form, or style.
Grecize is usually formal, academic, literary in register.
Grecize: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡriːsaɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡriˌsaɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'Greece-ize' – to turn something into a Greek version of itself.
Conceptual Metaphor
CULTURAL ASSIMILATION IS TRANSFORMATION.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'grecize'?