of, relating to, or characteristic of Samuel Johnson, his works, or his style of writing
Johnsonian in American English
(dʒɑnˈsoʊniən)
adjective
of, like, or characteristic of Samuel Johnson or his style
Johnsonian in American English
(dʒɑnˈsouniən)
adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Samuel Johnson or his works
2.
having the quality of Johnsonese
noun
3.
a person who writes in the Johnsonian style
4.
a teacher or critic who specializes in the works of Samuel Johnson
Derived forms
Johnsonianism
noun
Johnsonianly
adverb
Word origin
[1785–95; johnson + -ian]This word is first recorded in the period 1785–95. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: breakup, crossover, dualism, logrolling, preemptive-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)