Skip to main content
Philip Augustus

Philip Augustus

1 9.1
King of France from 1180 to 1223 who strengthened the king's power and took land from England
  • proper noun
: Felipe Augusto
  • Historians credit Philip Augustus with strengthening royal authority in medieval France.

Examples

  • The reign of Philip Augustus marked an era of growth for the French monarchy.

  • King Philip Augustus ruled France for over four decades.

  • Philip Augustus played a significant role in shifting the balance of power between France and England.

  • Philip Augustus was a great king.

  • Philip Augustus strengthened France’s position by recovering lands lost to England during his reign.

  • Under Philip Augustus, France experienced significant territorial expansion and increased royal power.

  • The legacy of Philip Augustus includes the unification and consolidation of French territories.

Synonyms

Philip II
vsPhilip Augustus
1 7.9

King of France who fought England and recovered Normandy, Anjou and Poitou

is the alternate name highlighting royal power rather than parentage

Surface Forms

Morphology

Philip + Augustus

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person (Philip II of France) and its referent and historical meaning are not deducible from the constituents. Knowing 'Philip' (a personal name) and 'Augustus' (a Roman emperor or epithet meaning 'venerable') might suggest a grand or honorific name but would not allow a B1 learner to infer the identity or role as King of France, so the expression is idiomatic/ referential rather than compositional.

Etymology

Philip Augustus gets his extra name from the Latin title Augustus, a praise word copied from the famous Roman emperor. Calling King Philip Augustus was a way to say he was very powerful and important, so the name marks him as 'a great and powerful ruler'.