Faustianadj.
/ˈfaʊstɪən/, U.S. /ˈfaʊstiən/ Of or pertaining to Johann Faust (in Latinized form Johannes Faustus), a wandering astrologer and necromancer who lived in Germany c1488–1541 and was reputed to have sold his soul to the Devil: later, the hero of dramas by Marlowe and Goethe. Also absol.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > sorcerer or magician > [adjective] > relating to necromancer
Faustian1876
1876 Gentleman's Mag. New Ser. 16 211 The sombre Faustian grandeur of this piece.
1931 Times Lit. Suppl. 21 May 404/4 The Faustian idea of eternal striving.
1941 Amer. Speech 16 178 Man is seen to characterize himself as the Faustian, with his soul constantly aspiring upward, the higher the better.
1943 Scrutiny 11 270 The combination of the Faustian urge and faith in progress with outstanding intellectual ability explains the respect..felt for Bacon.
1958 J. Carew Wild Coast vii. 100 The world of..the written word, the Faustian conflict.
1964 S. Bellow Herzog 234 I would never grasp the Christian and Faustian world idea.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1972; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1876