Renaissance
/ˈrɛn.ə.sɑːns/noun
A revival or renewed interest in art, learning, or culture; specifically, the European cultural movement of the 14th to 17th centuries.
Did you know?The word entered English through French, where it originally meant a literal “rebirth,” and it was first used for the rebirth of art and learning long before it became a grand historical label.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
renascentia
“a rebirth, a rising again”
Late Latin
Latin
renasci
“to be born again; to arise anew”
Old French
Old French
renaissance
“rebirth, renewal”
16th Century
English
renaissance
“rebirth or revival, especially of learning and the arts”
Modern English
English
renaissance
“a revival or renewed flourishing of something”