What does "sapphic" mean?
A Sapphic verse.
Sapphic
/ˈsæf.ɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A Sapphic verse.
- Grammar: sapphic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: lesbian, ac-dc, alcaic, amphierotic.
- Useful contrasts: contemporary, heterosexual, modern.
- Usage evidence: It was a sapphic night organised by a queer team.
How to use "sapphic"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sapphic" 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
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- 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 "sapphic" 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 "sapphic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A Sapphic verse.
"His Sapphics, on the story of Bacchus and Ariadne, are easy, elegant, and poetical."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of Sapphic. alt-of
"Though they will not satisfy Mr. T. S. Omond's rules of quantity, and cannot be expected to reach Swinburne's exquisite sense of its balance, they give far more idea of the rhythm of Sappho than the body of English sapphics by other writers."
- 3 A person who is sapphic.
"'Very good,” he said, 'although I must confess that the older I get, the less I am able to enjoy the company of women – except of course our own dear Enid who is so notorious a Sapphic as to be virtually hors concours."
Adjective
- 1 Relating to the Greek poetess Sappho from Lesbos or her poetry. not-comparable
- 2 Lesbian, relating to lesbianism, or (broadly) to women who are attracted (not necessarily exclusively) to women. not-comparable
"Clinton and I became peripherally involved with a pair of Leckford Road girls who, principally sapphic in their interests, would arrange for sessions of group frolic."
- 3 Of a certain kind of verse reputed to have been invented by Sappho, consisting of five metrical feet, of which the first, fourth, and fifth are trochees, the second is a spondee, and the third a dactyl. not-comparable
- 4 Alternative letter-case form of sapphic. alt-of, not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 of or relating to or characterized by homosexual relations between woman wordnet
- 2 a meter used by Sappho and named after her wordnet
Example
"It was a sapphic night organised by a queer team."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sapphic"?
Common synonyms include: lesbian, ac-dc, alcaic, amphierotic, anacreontic, archaic.
How do you use "sapphic" in a sentence?
It was a sapphic night organised by a queer team.
How do you pronounce "sapphic"?
Pronounced /ˈsæf.ɪk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Sappho (Ancient Greek Σαπφώ (Sapphṓ)) + -ic, whence Latin Sapphicus. Sense related to sexuality alludes to Sappho's poetry discussing love between women (see also lesbian).
Etymology 2
From Sapphic.