What does "anglo-saxon" mean?
A member of the Germanic peoples who settled in England during the early fifth century.
Anglo-saxon
/ˌæŋ.ɡloʊˈsæk.sən/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A member of the Germanic peoples who settled in England during the early fifth century.
- Grammar: anglo-saxon is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: anglian, anglo, anglo-saxon language, old english.
- Useful contrasts: briton.
- Usage evidence: The 100 most common words in English are Anglo-Saxon words.
How to use "anglo-saxon"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "anglo-saxon" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "anglo-saxon" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "anglo-saxon" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A member of the Germanic peoples who settled in England during the early fifth century.
- 2 English prior to about 1100 wordnet
- 3 A person of English ethnic descent. US
- 4 a native or inhabitant of England prior to the Norman Conquest wordnet
- 5 A lightskinned or blond-haired person presumably of North European descent like British. US
Show 1 more definition
- 6 a person of Anglo-Saxon (especially British) descent whose native tongue is English and whose culture is strongly influenced by English culture as in WASP for ‘White Anglo-Saxon Protestant’ wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Related to the Anglo-Saxon peoples or language.
- 2 Related to nations which speak primarily English and are influenced by English culture and customs, especially Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States.
"[...] Ethnography thus aims at record- ing as accurately as possible the respective modes of life of various groups. Ethnology, on the other hand, utilizes for comparative purposes (the nature of which will be explained below) the data provided by the ethnographer. Thus, ethnography has the same meaning in all countries, and ethnology corresponds approximately to what is known in Anglo-Saxon countries—where the term eth- nology has become obsolete—as social or cultural anthropology."
- 3 Favouring a liberal free-market economy.
- 4 Descended from some other North European settlers like the British (English). US
Adjective
- 1 of or relating to the Anglo-Saxons or their language wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Synonym of Old English (language). archaic
- 2 Profanity, especially words derived from Old English. informal
"Sometimes these chairmen are authoritarians, who wield the budget-book as a weapon - the junior staff members have some Anglo-Saxon words for them"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The 100 most common words in English are Anglo-Saxon words."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "anglo-saxon"?
Common synonyms include: anglian, anglo, anglo-saxon language, old english, saxon, saxon culture.
How do you use "anglo-saxon" in a sentence?
The 100 most common words in English are Anglo-Saxon words.
How do you pronounce "anglo-saxon"?
Pronounced /ˌæŋ.ɡloʊˈsæk.sən/.
Etymology
From Anglo- + Saxon, from Latin Anglosaxones (Anglo-Saxones), Latin Angli Saxones (literally “the English Saxons”), as distinguished from the Continental Saxons.