Barthesian

B3A1R1T1H4E1S1I1A1N1

adjective

Of or relating to Roland Barthes (1915–1980), French literary theorist, philosopher, linguist, critic, and semiotician who influenced the development of schools of theory including structuralism, semiotics, social theory, anthropology and poststructuralism.

OriginFrench barthésien →
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Meanings

adjectiveBarthesian (comparative more Barthesian, superlative most Barthesian)

comparative more Barthesian · superlative most Barthesian

  1. Of or relating to Roland Barthes (1915–1980), French literary theorist, philosopher, linguist, critic, and semiotician who influenced the development of schools of theory including structuralism, semiotics, social theory, anthropology and poststructuralism.
nounBarthesian (plural Barthesians)

plural Barthesians

  1. A proponent of the theories of Roland Barthes.

    At their most de-humanizing, the Barthesians see authors as repeating something that has been done before, so that they are rather characterless.

    2000, Roger D. Sell, Literature as Communication, page 93

Origin

  1. Frenchbarthésien
  2. EnglishBarthesian

Calque of French barthésien or Barthes + -ian.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French barthésien
  • barthésienof or relating to Roland Barthes
Cite this entry
APA

Barthesian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barthesian

MLA

“Barthesian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barthesian. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Barthesian,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Barthesian.

Source: Barthesian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.