Abraham
Americannoun
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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.
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a first name: from a Hebrew word meaning “father of many.”
noun
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Old Testament the first of the patriarchs, the father of Isaac and the founder of the Hebrew people (Genesis 11–25)
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the place where the just repose after death (Luke 16:22)
Other Word Forms
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”
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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.
As injury and the postponement of races caused by the coronavirus pandemic left Sawe struggling to make a living through running, his uncle, Uganda's 800m record holder Abraham Chepkirwok, put him in touch.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
The US military noted that it now has three aircraft carriers -- the USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford and USS George H.W.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
More recently, in the wake of the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized ties between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, among others, a few Pakistani journalists raised the possibility of following suit.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
Seven decades later, Abraham Lincoln echoed Henry when he said, “Let the people know the facts, and the country will be safe.”
From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026
He had passed the point of no return: He had given aid and comfort to Abraham Lincoln’s killers and now he lied about it to protect them.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
