Florence Meaning
/ˈflɒɹəns/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
proper nounA city in central Italy.
nameA city and comune, the capital of the Metropolitan City of Florence and the region of Tuscany, Italy.
Sentence Examples
Florence is the most beautiful city in Italy.
Florence Nightingale is famous as the woman who began professional nursing.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Many famous Renaissance artists lived in ____, a beautiful Italian city known for its art.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Many people consider ____ to be the birthplace of the Renaissance due to its rich art history.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from French Florence f, from Latin Flōrentia (as a given name, a feminine form of Flōrentius), from flōrens (“flowering, flourishing”), from flōs (“flower”), connected with English bloom and blossom. Doublet of Firenze. The female given name gained popularity from Florence Nightingale who was born in the Tuscan city.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It is a sweet name, Florence, but not as sweet as herself. But you shall see her with you own eyes."
— 1840, William Gilmore Simms, Border Beagles: A Tale of Mississippi, Donohue, Henneberry, published 1890, page 398:
"I am glad that I chose the name Florence for my daughter, a real name with a history, rather than something that sounds as if it has been made up by a fifteen-year-old pop star's marketing team."
— 2006, Sophie Hannah, Little Face, Soho, published 2007, →ISBN, page 3:
"he first gold that K. Edw . 3. coyned , was in the yeare 1343 , and the peeces were called Florences because Florentines were the coyners"
— 1605, M. N. [pseudonym; William Camden], Remaines of a Greater Worke, Concerning Britaine, […], London: […] G[eorge] E[ld] for Simon Waterson, →OCLC:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Many famous Renaissance artists lived in ____, a beautiful Italian city known for its art.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Many people consider ____ to be the birthplace of the Renaissance due to its rich art history.