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# spartan

adjective (spartan; Spartan); noun (a Spartan, Spartans)

«spartan» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (history) A Spartan was a person from Sparta, a city in ancient Greece famous for its tough soldiers and strict training. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#m1)
2. adjective (lower case): Very simple and plain, without comfort or decoration: a spartan room. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#m2)
3. adjective: Strict, tough and self-disciplined. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history lessons about ancient Greece, Sparta and Athens are compared: Spartan boys trained as soldiers from age 7; the Battle of Thermopylae (300 Spartans). In everyday life, «spartan» describes a very plain room, meal or lifestyle. Sports teams often call themselves «the Spartans». Phrases: «a spartan room», «spartan lifestyle», «Spartan warriors», «Spartan race».

### Examples

- Spartan boys left home at seven to train as soldiers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#x1)
- The Spartans fought bravely at Thermopylae. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#x2)
- The hostel room was spartan, with just a bed and a chair. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#x3)
- Grandad lives a spartan life — no TV and cold showers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#x4)
- Athens and Sparta were rivals in ancient Greece. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#x5)
- Our school team is called the Spartans. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#x6)
- But when the sun went down, there was not one Spartan left alive. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/#x7)

### Note

Capital S for the people of Sparta; small s for the «plain, simple» meaning. Myth: films show Spartans as heroes, but Sparta also kept most people in its land as slaves (helots).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «spartan» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/spartan/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«spartan» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/spartan.html) on Mova free.