Meanings
herostratic1
comparative more herostratic · superlative most herostratic · alternative Herostratic
Herostratic2
comparative more Herostratic · superlative most Herostratic
- Alternative letter-case form of herostratic.
Would his unconscious feelings of inadequacy be overcome by his Herostratic act (considered as expiation through punishment)?
2003, Bettina L. Knapp, French Fairy Tales: A Jungian Approach, State University of New York Press, →ISBN, page 1032 more examples
Recent U.S. examples of Herostratic terrorists are Arthur Bremer, Samuel Bych, and John Hinckley Jr. Bremer shot Governor George Wallace in May 1972, leaving Wallace paralyzed for life.
2007, R. Hrair Dekmejian, Spectrum of Terror, CQ Press, →ISBNThe Herostratic criminal manifested self-destructive desires aiming to achieve goals with any means while simultaneously generating ‘self-glorification’ and feelings of insecurity among the public (Borowitz 2005).
2015, Trevor Calafato, Paul Caruana, “Terrorism in Transition: The Implications of Cyber-Terrorism”, in Savvas Katsikides, Pavlos I. Koktsidis, editors, Societies in Transition: Economic, Political and Security Transformations in Contemporary Europe, Springer, →ISBN, part II (Politics and Security), page 208
Origin
- Ancient GreekἩρόστρατος
- LatinHērostratus
- Englishherostratic
From Herostratus + -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives from nouns). Herostratus is a learned borrowing from Latin Hērostratus, from Ancient Greek Ἡρόστρατος (Hēróstratos), from Ἥρᾱ (Hḗrā, “Greek goddess of marriage, women, and family”) + στρᾰτός (strătós, “army, military force; band or body of men; common people”). Herostratus (died c. 356 B.C.E.) was a Greek arsonist who sought fame by destroying the second Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (now in Izmir Province, Turkey), according to tradition by setting fire to it on 21 July 356 B.C.E., the birth date of Alexander the Great.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with herostratic
Cite this entry
herostratic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/herostratic
“herostratic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/herostratic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “herostratic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/herostratic.
Source: herostratic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.