Meaning & use
Apollo
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Meanings
proper nounproper
In Greek and Roman mythology, the god of the sun, music, poetry, prophecy and healing.
Grammar: Always capitalized and used without an article: Apollo, not the Apollo.
Patterns
- Apollo, god of something
- the temple of Apollo
Ancient Greeks traveled to Delphi to ask Apollo about the future.
The statue shows Apollo holding a lyre.
In the myth, Apollo drove the sun across the sky each day.
proper nounproperAmerican
The American space program of the 1960s and 1970s that sent astronauts to the Moon.
Grammar: Often used before a number or as a modifier: Apollo 11, the Apollo missions.
Patterns
- Apollo 11
- the Apollo program
Apollo 11 landed the first people on the Moon in 1969.
The museum has a rock brought back by an Apollo mission.
She watched a documentary about the Apollo program.
Common combinations
- Apollo 11
- Apollo 11 landed on the Moon in July 1969.
- Apollo program
- The Apollo program involved thousands of engineers.
- temple of Apollo
- The temple of Apollo at Delphi attracted visitors from all over Greece.
- Apollo astronaut
- Each Apollo astronaut trained for years.
- Apollo and Artemis
- In myth, Apollo and Artemis were twins.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Phoebus
- Phoebus is a poetic name for Apollo, used mostly in classical or literary writing.
- sun god
- Sun god is a general description, whereas Apollo is a specific god with many other roles.
Word family
- Apollonian adjective
- orderly, calm and rational, like the god Apollo
Commonly confused: Apollo or Artemis?
Apollo vs Artemis
Artemis was Apollo's twin sister, goddess of the hunt and the Moon, while Apollo is the god of the sun and music.
Practice
Which of these is associated with the god Apollo?
Choose one answer.
Apollo was the god of the sun, music, poetry and prophecy. The sea belonged to Poseidon, war to Ares and the underworld to Hades.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Apollo”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.