katharevousa

Ka·tha·re·vou·sa
K5A1T1H4A1R1E1V4O1U1S1A1
UK/ˌkaθəˈɹɛvuːsə/US/ˌkɑθəˈɹɛvusɑ/US/ˌkɑθəˈɹɛvəsɑ/

proper noun

A learned, archaising form of Modern Greek, based on Classical Greek and used for formal and official purposes; it was legally displaced as the official language of Greece in 1976 by Demotic Greek.

OriginGreek καθαρεύουσα ← Ancient Greek καθαρεύω →
Scrabble 22
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Meanings

katharevousa1

proper noun
  1. alternativeAlternative form of Katharevousa

Katharevousa2

proper noun

alternative katharevousa

  1. A learned, archaising form of Modern Greek, based on Classical Greek and used for formal and official purposes; it was legally displaced as the official language of Greece in 1976 by Demotic Greek.

    ‘You read the poetry of Cavafy, I have taught you to speak Katharevousa and Italian.’

    1994, Louis de Bernières, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Minerva, published 1995, page 87
    1 more example

    A year later, after much deliberation and public discussion, an act of parliament established that demotic Greek was to replace the hybrid katharevousa as the official language of education – and therefore, in practice, in most walks of life (exceptions are the Church and law).

    2019, Roderick Beaton, Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation, Penguin, published 2020, page 345

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκαθαρεύω“to be clean, pure”
  2. Greekκαθαρεύουσα
  3. EnglishKatharevousa

From Greek καθαρεύουσα (katharévousa), feminine of καθαρεύων (katharévon), present participle of Ancient Greek καθαρεύω (kathareúō, “to be clean, pure”).

More words from Greek, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Katharewoesa
  • Katharewoesapurist variant of Modern Greek
Chinese Mandarin 純正希臘語 /纯正希腊语
  • 純正希臘語 /纯正希腊语 (Chúnzhèng Xīlàyǔ)purist variant of Modern Greek
Esperanto katarevuso
  • katarevusopurist variant of Modern Greek
Finnish katharévousa
  • katharévousapurist variant of Modern Greek
French katharévousa
  • katharévousapurist variant of Modern Greek
German Kathareuusa, Katharevusa
  • Kathareuusapurist variant of Modern Greek
  • Katharevusapurist variant of Modern Greek
  • Katharevousapurist variant of Modern Greek
Greek καθαρεύουσα, Καθαρεύουσα
  • καθαρεύουσα (katharévousa)purist variant of Modern Greek
  • Καθαρεύουσα (Katharévousa)purist variant of Modern Greek
Hindi काथारेवुसा
  • काथारेवुसा (kāthārevusā)purist variant of Modern Greek
Hungarian katharévusza
  • katharévuszapurist variant of Modern Greek
Icelandic kaþarevúsa
  • kaþarevúsapurist variant of Modern Greek
Italian katharevousa
  • katharevousapurist variant of Modern Greek
Japanese カサレヴサ
  • カサレヴサ (Kasarevusa)purist variant of Modern Greek
Korean 카타레부사
  • 카타레부사 (Katarebusa)purist variant of Modern Greek
Polish katharewusa, katarewusa
  • katharewusapurist variant of Modern Greek
  • katarewusapurist variant of Modern Greek
Portuguese catarévussa, grego catarévussa
  • catarévussapurist variant of Modern Greek
  • grego catarévussapurist variant of Modern Greek
Russian кафаре́вуса
  • кафаре́вуса (kafarévusa)purist variant of Modern Greek
Spanish Catarevusa
  • Catarevusapurist variant of Modern Greek
Turkish Katarevusa
  • Katarevusapurist variant of Modern Greek
Ukrainian кафаре́вуса, катаре́вуса
  • кафаре́вуса (kafarévusa)purist variant of Modern Greek
  • катаре́вуса (katarévusa)purist variant of Modern Greek
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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