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Glite Dictionary
😏 Gentle satire 📜 A Horace admirer
Horatian

Horatian

9.9
Being gentle and witty when criticizing people or ideas, like the Roman poet Horace
  • adjective
  • /həˈreɪʃən/
  • Literature
translation icon : horaciano
  • The essayist adopted a Horatian tone, using gentle humor to criticize society.

Examples

  • Her satire was more Horatian than harsh, preferring wit over anger.

  • Many English poets admired the Horatian approach to irony and moderation.

  • The author employs a Horatian style in his latest novel.

  • Many critics appreciate the Horatian approach to satire.

  • The essayist adopted a Horatian tone, using gentle humor to criticize society.

  • Her satire was more Horatian than harsh, preferring wit over anger.

  • Many English poets admired the Horatian approach to irony and moderation.

Compounds

Horatian ode
  • Literature
9.9

A calm, thoughtful poem with several equal parts and a regular rhythm like Horace wrote

Surface Forms

Horatian positive

Morphology

Horatian = Horace (semi-transparent) = Horace + ian

Formed regularly from the proper name 'Horace' plus '-ian', but the meaning is literary and requires knowledge of the historical poet to be fully understood.

Etymology

Horatian comes from the Roman poet Horace, who was famous for calm, witty poems and for 'gentle satire'. So a style described as Horatian means polite, balanced humor that points out faults without anger.