characteristic of or resembling the style or whimsical humour of W. S. Gilbert
Gilbertian in American English
(ɡɪlˈbɜːrtiən)
adjective
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the style or humor of Sir William S. Gilbert
Word origin
[1875–80; gilbert + -ian]This word is first recorded in the period 1875–80. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: graph, knockabout, massage, overdraft, weekender-ian is a suffix occurring originally in adjectives borrowed from Latin, formed from nounsdenoting places (Italian) or persons (Flavian), and now productively forming English adjectives by extension of the Latin pattern.Attached to geographical names, it denotes provenance or membership (Washingtonian), the latter sense now extended to membership in social classes, religious denominations,etc. (Episcopalian; pedestrian). Attached to personal names, it has the additional senses “contemporary with” ( Victorian) or “proponent of” (Hegelian; Freudian) the person specified by the noun base. It also occurs in a set of personal nouns,mainly loanwords from French, denoting one who engages in, practices, or works withthe referent of the base noun (comedian; grammarian; theologian)
Examples of 'Gilbertian' in a sentence
Gilbertian
The only Gilbertian aspect of this affair is the sight of you, going round in circles.