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

See Examples For:

Adam

The statue, which was created by Los Angeles-based artist Adam Matano, will live at the Griffith Park Visitors Center, the National Wildlife Federation and Friends of Griffith Park announced in a Thursday news release.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

And just as there are occasional celebrity cameos at a Trump rally, there was one at the midterm convention, where early-aughts comic Adam Carolla did a routine.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026

Adam Posen, the president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said Bessent’s posturing was ill-advised.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

But the NBA investigated, and last week commissioner Adam Silver leveled the punishment that includes banning Mr. Ballmer from the team for a year and the loss of five first-round draft picks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

He had had a good morning in nursery school, playing with Adam.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry