Ezra
Americannoun
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a Jewish scribe and prophet of the 5th century b.c., who with Nehemiah led the revival of Judaism in Palestine.
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a book of the Bible bearing his name. Ezr.
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a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “help.”
noun
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a Jewish priest of the 5th century bc , who was sent from Babylon by the Persian king Artaxerxes I to reconstitute observance of the Jewish law and worship in Jerusalem after the captivity
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the book recounting his efforts to perform this task
Etymology
Origin of Ezra
From Late Latin Ezras, ulimately from Hebrew ʿezrā “help”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During his May visit, Mr. Trump’s personal appeal to Mr. Xi led to the release of Christian pastor Ezra Jin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Ezra Cohen, a former Under Secretary of Defence during the first Trump administration, described Hegseth's reforms as "bringing in fresh thinking and a more forward-leaning attitude".
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Authorities detained its founding pastor Ezra Jin during the October crackdown but he was released in July, weeks after US President Donald Trump raised his case with Xi.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
In fairness, Mr. Trump succeeded in pressing China to free a jailed Christian pastor, Ezra Jin, whose children are U.S. citizens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
He thought Ezra was loud and annoying and a mean tease.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
