Illustration of atlas
- atlas 5
1
Atlas
: a Titan who for his part in the Titans' revolt against the gods is forced by Zeus to support the heavens on his shoulders
2
Atlas
: one who bears a heavy burden
3
a
: a bound collection of maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter
b
: a bound collection of tables, charts, or plates
4
: the first vertebra of the neck
5
plural usually atlantes
ət-ˈlan-(ˌ)tēz 
at-
: a male figure used like a caryatid as a supporting column or pilaster
called also telamon
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Word History of Atlas
In Greek mythology, giants ruled the world in an early age. Their rule was overthrown after a mighty battle with other gods. Atlas was one of these giants, and after their defeat, the story goes, he was forced to hold up the sky on his shoulders. In the 16th century, the Flemish mapmaker Gerardus Mercator published a collection of maps. On the title page he showed a picture of Atlas supporting his burden. Mercator gave the book the title Atlas. Later collections of maps included similar pictures of Atlas, and came to be called atlases.
Examples of atlas in a Sentence
a road atlas of the U.S.
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative created an open-source atlas of more than one billion predicted protein structures that could provide new insights into disease diagnosis and treatment.
—
Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The clearest types in Sander’s atlas are the working men, often depicted from head to toe, or down to their knees.
—Max Norman, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
Before that time, no two atlases agreed as to the limits, and much confusion resulted.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 15 May 2026
An atlas of pathogens Five years ago, a study like this wasn't really possible, says Carlson.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 9 Apr. 2026
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Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The clearest types in Sander’s atlas are the working men, often depicted from head to toe, or down to their knees.
—Max Norman, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
Before that time, no two atlases agreed as to the limits, and much confusion resulted.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 15 May 2026
An atlas of pathogens Five years ago, a study like this wasn't really possible, says Carlson.
—Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atlas
Cite this Entry
“Atlas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atlas. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
atlas
noun
at·las
ˈat-ləs
: a book of maps
Etymology
named for Atlas, a giant in Greek mythology
Word Origin
Atlas was one of the giants of Greek mythology who ruled the world in an early age. Their rule was overthrown after a mighty battle with other gods. After his defeat, the story goes, Atlas was forced to hold up the sky on his shoulders. In the 16th century the Flemish mapmaker Gerardus Mercator published a collection of maps. On the title page he showed a picture of Atlas supporting his burden. Mercator gave the book the title Atlas. Later collections of maps included similar pictures of Atlas, and such books came to be called atlases.
Medical Definition
atlas
noun
at·las
ˈat-ləs
: the first vertebra of the neck
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