Illustration of sweet william
sweet william
noun
sweet wil·liam
ˌswēt-ˈwil-yəm 
often capitalized W
: a widely cultivated Old World pink (Dianthus barbatus) with small white to deep red or purple flowers often showily spotted, banded, or mottled and borne in flat-topped cymes
Examples of sweet william in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Their farmhouse front was decorated with an eye-catching garland and wreath of peonies and sweet william by Shane Connolly.
—
Emma Elwick-Bates, Vogue, 28 June 2022
Lined up in tubs were the dramatis personae: gerbera daisies, alstroemerias, leucadendrons, thistles, bear grass, sweet william.
—Michael Schulma, The New Yorker, 31 July 2021
In turn, Kate, who married Prince William in April 2011, carried a bouquet by florist Shane Connolly that was almost entirely lily of the valley, as well as myrtle, sweet William, hyacinth and ivy.
—Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, 12 Oct. 2018
Designed by florist Shane Connolly, the bouquet was almost entirely lily of the valley, and also included myrtle as well as sweet William, hyacinth and ivy.
—Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 May 2018
Kate's bouquet honored royal tradition and her groom Kate's bouquet featured myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth, and sweet William, a nod to the groom.
—Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, 15 May 2018
Emma Elwick-Bates, Vogue, 28 June 2022
Lined up in tubs were the dramatis personae: gerbera daisies, alstroemerias, leucadendrons, thistles, bear grass, sweet william.
—Michael Schulma, The New Yorker, 31 July 2021
In turn, Kate, who married Prince William in April 2011, carried a bouquet by florist Shane Connolly that was almost entirely lily of the valley, as well as myrtle, sweet William, hyacinth and ivy.
—Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, 12 Oct. 2018
Designed by florist Shane Connolly, the bouquet was almost entirely lily of the valley, and also included myrtle as well as sweet William, hyacinth and ivy.
—Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 May 2018
Kate's bouquet honored royal tradition and her groom Kate's bouquet featured myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth, and sweet William, a nod to the groom.
—Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, 15 May 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweet william.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
from the name William
First Known Use
1573, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Sweet william.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet%20william. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
sweet william
noun
sweet wil·liam
swēt-ˈwil-yəm
often capitalized W
: a widely grown Eurasian pink with small white to deep red or purple flowers that are often spotted or banded and grow in flat clusters on upright stems
More from Merriam-Webster on sweet william
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sweet william
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