Athens

IPA/ˈaθɪnz/
KK[ˈæθənz]IPA/ˈæθənz/

Athens — noun

1. the city that serves as Greece's capital, especially in talk about travel, ancie

1.noun
Definition

the city that serves as Greece's capital, especially in talk about travel, ancient history, or famous places such as the Acropolis.

Example

Lena spent two nights in Athens before taking the ferry to Naxos.

place name as travel destination

The Acropolis rises above Athens and can be seen from many streets.

landmark + above Athens

Common collocations
  • ancient Athens
  • modern Athens
  • the Acropolis of Athens
  • in Athens

Grammar Patterns

used as a place name

Usage Note

Distinguish from geographical name/1: this sense is the ordinary dictionary use for Athens as the Greek capital people visit, study, or talk about in history and culture. Geographical name/1 is narrower and gives map-style facts such as position and population.

Common Mistakes

I want to visit the Athens next year.
I want to visit Athens next year.
city names normally do not take 'the'.
athens is one of Europe's oldest cities.
Athens is one of Europe's oldest cities.
proper nouns begin with a capital letter.

Athens — geographical name

Word family

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Athens, Greece
  • the city of Athens
  • central Athens

Phrases

  • the streets of Athens
  • Athens city centre

Prepositions

  • in Athens
  • from Athens
  • to Athens

Etymology

Ancient GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

English Athens comes from Latin Athenae, which came from Ancient Greek Athenai, the old name of the city. In Greek tradition the city was closely linked with the goddess Athena, its special protector. The modern English form passed through later European writing about the ancient Greek world and became the standard English name for the Greek capital.