Adam

American  

[ad-uhm, a-dahn] / ˈæd əm, aˈdɑ̃ /

noun

1. the name of the first man, according to the Bible: husband of Eve and progenitor of the human race.

2. Adolphe Charles 1803–56, French composer of comic opera and ballet music.

3. James, 1730–94, and his brother Robert, 1728–92, English architects and furniture designers.

4. Lambert Sigisbert 1700–59, and his brother Nicholas Sébastien 1705–78, French sculptors.

5. a first name.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the style of architecture, decoration, or furnishings associated with Robert and James Adam, characterized by free adaptation of ancient Roman forms and interiors treated with delicate ornament generally painted in light, vivid colors.

idioms

1. not know from Adam, to be unacquainted with.

   He says hello to us every morning, but we don't know him from Adam.

2. the old Adam, the natural tendency toward sin.

   He attributed his wild outburst to the old Adam in him.

Adam ¹ British  

/ ˈædəm /

noun

1. Old Testament the first man, created by God: the progenitor of the human race (Genesis 2–3)

2. to have no knowledge of or acquaintance with someone

3. the evil supposedly inherent in human nature

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Adam ² British  

noun

1. Adolphe. 1803–56, French composer, best known for his romantic ballet Giselle (1841)

2. Robert. 1728–92, Scottish architect and furniture designer. Assisted by his brother, James, 1730–94, he emulated the harmony of classical and Italian Renaissance architecture

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adjective

1. in the neoclassical style made popular by Robert Adam

Adam More Idioms  

1. see not know from Adam.

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Etymology

Origin of Adam

From the Hebrew word ādhām literally, “man”

Example Sentences

But there’s a “gap” between having the documents and actually being prepared, according to Adam Zuckerman, founder of estate-planning resource website Buried in Work and author of the book “No Loose Ends.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

Tom Gough, who was a close friend and teammate of Adam, agrees he "wouldn't feel so safe" stepping on to a pitch now "because of the circumstance that happened with Adam".

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Among those targeted include Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, all of whom had investigations against them stemming from mortgage records.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

That’s the slogan for the campaign,’” said Adam Conover, a comedian who volunteered for Raman.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

It was an inconvenient fact, because Adam Worth matched the Paris police’s idea of the thief perfectly.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day