Abraham

American  

[ey-bruh-ham, -huhm] / ˈeɪ brəˌhæm, -həm /

noun

1. the first of the great Biblical patriarchs, father of Isaac, and traditional founder of the ancient Hebrew nation: considered by Muslims an ancestor of the Arab peoples through his son Ishmael.

2. a first name: from a Hebrew word meaning “father of many.”

---

Abraham British  

/ ˈeɪbrəˌhæm, -həm /

noun

1. Old Testament the first of the patriarchs, the father of Isaac and the founder of the Hebrew people (Genesis 11–25)

2. the place where the just repose after death (Luke 16:22)

---

Other Word Forms

• Abrahamic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Abraham

First recorded before 1000; from Late Latin, from Greek Abraám, from Hebrew ʾabhrāhām, traditionally translated as “father of many nations, father of multitudes,” equivalent to ʾabh “father” + hamon “multitude,” or a variant of ʾabhram “high father, exalted father,” equivalent to ʾabh “father” + ram “high, exalted”

Compare meaning

How does abraham compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Abram vs. Abraham

Example Sentences

Second, the Saudi turn from the path of Abraham comes as the kingdom pares or abandons several high-profile projects.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Cave of the Patriarchs - also known as the Ibrahimi Mosque - is revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob's burial place.

From BBC

"Their military deployment in the region does not scare us," he said, referring to the arrival of an aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, in the Arabian Sea.

From Barron's

He may be known as the Great Emancipator, but Abraham Lincoln was a committed partisan who knew how to organize supporters and undermine opponents.

From The Wall Street Journal

Abraham Lincoln first earned national attention by calling out President James K. Polk’s lies about the lead-up to the conflict, which lasted from April 1846 to February 1848, on the floor of Congress.

From Los Angeles Times