chthonian
/ˈθəʊnɪən//ˈkθəʊnɪən/
chthonian adjective: pertaining to the underworld; being beneath the earth.
Adjective
chthonian (not generally comparable, comparative more chthonian, superlative most chthonian)
- Pertaining to the underworld; being beneath the earth.
- Consus, moreover, is regarded as a god of the lower world, or Chthonian divinity—another circumstance which connects him with Poseidôn, whose character becomes more and more Chthonian the farther his cultus is traced into the East, where also his phase as lord of knowledge and wisdom appears more...1872, Robert Brown, Poseidôn: A Link between Semite, Hamite, and Aryan, page 70
- ...I intend to apply the name chthonian to all gods and spirits of the earth, whether their functions are concerned with agriculture or with the grave and the world beyond, or (as often) with both.1950, W. K. C. Guthrie, The Greeks and Their Gods, Beacon Press, published 1955, page 219
Noun
chthonian (plural chthonians)
- A dweller in the mythical underworld.
Examples of chthonian in a sentence
- The Olympian religion is truly Olympian when it rests on Chthonian grounds, and the Chthonian religion is truly Chthonian when it stands in the Olympian light.1969, Vincent Vycinas, Earth and Gods: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Martin Heidegger, page 196:
- Even an “Olympian” deity such as Athena Polias at Athens may have chthonian features, such as her association with the snake, a creature symbolic of the earth.2007, Jennifer Lynn Larson, Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide, page 12:
Forms of chthonian
| Adjective | |
|---|---|
| comparative | more chthonian |
| superlative | most chthonian |
| Noun | |
| plural | chthonians |
Origin of chthonian
From Ancient Greek χθόνιος (khthónios, “in or under the ground”), from χθών (khthṓn, “ground”).
Words formed from chthonian
Phrases with chthonian
Questions about chthonian
- What does chthonian mean?
- Chthonian means pertaining to the underworld; being beneath the earth.
- How do you use chthonian in a sentence?
- The Olympian religion is truly Olympian when it rests on Chthonian grounds, and the Chthonian religion is truly Chthonian when it stands in the Olympian light.
- What part of speech is chthonian?
- Chthonian can be an adjective or a noun.
- How do you pronounce chthonian?
- Chthonian is pronounced /ˈkθəʊnɪən/ (UK).
Words near chthonian in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: chthonian (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chthonian.wav.
Cite this entry: “chthonian.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/chthonian. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.