metaxas: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowFormal, Historical, Academic
Quick answer
What does “metaxas” mean?
A Greek surname, most famously that of Ioannis Metaxas (1871–1941), a Greek military officer and dictator who ruled Greece from 1936 until his death.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A Greek surname, most famously that of Ioannis Metaxas (1871–1941), a Greek military officer and dictator who ruled Greece from 1936 until his death.
Pertaining to the authoritarian regime, policies, or historical period associated with Ioannis Metaxas in Greece; also refers to the Metaxas Line, a fortification system built in the late 1930s.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage; the term is equally specialised in both varieties.
Connotations
Carries connotations of authoritarianism, nationalism, and Greek history in the interwar period.
Frequency
Extremely rare in general discourse; slightly more frequent in academic or historical texts discussing Greece.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “metaxas” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The Metaxas-era policies were deeply nationalist.
American English
- Metaxan architecture from that period is quite distinct.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in historical, political science, or military history texts discussing 20th-century Greece.
Everyday
Extremely rare, likely only in discussions of Greek history or heritage.
Technical
Used in military history to refer to the Metaxas Line fortifications.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “metaxas”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “metaxas”
- Spelling as 'Metaxus', 'Metaxos', or 'Metaxis'.
- Using it as a common noun without capitalisation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Historians debate this; his regime shared some characteristics with contemporary fascist states but was distinct in its Greek nationalist ideology.
A chain of fortifications along the Greek-Bulgarian border, built in the late 1930s to defend against invasion.
In British English, typically /mɛˈtæksæs/; in American English, often /mɛˈtæksəs/.
Extremely rarely. It is primarily a proper noun confined to historical discussion.
A Greek surname, most famously that of Ioannis Metaxas (1871–1941), a Greek military officer and dictator who ruled Greece from 1936 until his death.
Metaxas is usually formal, historical, academic in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'META' (beyond/after) + 'XAS' (sounds like 'axis') – Metaxas led Greece 'beyond' its previous politics and faced the Axis powers.
Conceptual Metaphor
A name as a symbol of authoritarian rule and nationalist resilience.
Practice
Quiz
Ioannis Metaxas is most closely associated with which country?