Laertes

noun

La·​er·​tes lā-ˈər-tēz How to pronounce Laertes (audio)
-ˈer-
1
: the father of Odysseus in Greek mythology
2
: the son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet

Examples of Laertes in a Sentence

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And during the famously bloody denouement — when all but one of the remaining characters are killed, in a matter of minutes — the bodies of Gertrude, Laertes and Claudius tumble down the deck and out of sight, one by one, leaving only the dying Hamlet, cradled by his friend Horatio. — Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025 The outlines of the source play are there in translation and characters based on Ophelia, Gertrude, Laertes and Horatio all show up in Juicy’s folks’ backyard, as does the ghost that kicks everything off. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Laertēs

First Known Use

circa 1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Laertes was circa 1565

Rhymes for Laertes

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Cite this Entry

“Laertes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Laertes. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Laertes

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