Catherine the Great
4
6.1
- proper noun
- Catherine the Great ruled Russia from 1762 to 1796 and expanded the empire's territory significantly.
- Empress Catherine the Great
- Catherine the Great of Russia
Examples
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He is the editor and translator of "The Rule of Catherine the Great, 1768-1770: Turkey and Poland," in History of Russia, vol. 46, and "Catherine the Great in Power: Domestic and Foreign Affairs, 1763-1764," in History of Russia, vol. 43 (forthcoming).
Academic text (1997) -
Under Catherine the Great, so the story goes, beautiful women were sent to the outer reaches of the Russian Empire.
Fiction book (1999) -
He is the editor and translator of "The Rule of Catherine the Great, 1768-1770: Turkey and Poland," in History of Russia, vol. 46, and "Catherine the Great in Power: Domestic and Foreign Affairs, 1763-1764," in History of Russia, vol. 43 (forthcoming).
Academic text (1997) -
Under Catherine the Great, Russia became known for its cultural and scientific advancements during her reign.
-
The reform policies implemented by Catherine the Great transformed the Russian Empire into a major European power.
Synonyms
1
7.7
Female ruler of Russia called Catherine the Great and known for making the country larger and more modern
Surface Forms
Morphology
Catherine + the + great
The epithet 'the Great' transparently signals that this Catherine is notable or distinguished, a pattern familiar cross-linguistically (e.g. Alexander the Great), so a B1 learner who knows the words can infer this refers to a famous/important person named Catherine. However, the specific historical identity and role (empress of Russia, dates of rule, territorial expansion) are not derivable from the constituents alone, so full meaning is not predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Catherine the Great earned her name by making Russia much larger and stronger and by bringing new ideas to the country. That's why people call her 'the Great' — it shows she was a very powerful and important ruler.