Mordecai

American

[mawr-di-kahy, mawr-di-key-ahy] / ˈmɔr dɪˌkaɪ, ˌmɔr dɪˈkeɪ aɪ /

noun

(in the Bible) the cousin and guardian of Esther who delivered the Jews from the destruction planned by Haman.
a male given name.

Mordecai ¹ British

/ ˈmɔːdəˌkaɪ, ˌmɔːdəˈkaɪ /

noun

Old Testament the cousin of Esther who averted a massacre of the Jews (Esther 2–9)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Mordecai ² British

/ ˌmɔːdəˈkaɪ, ˈmɔːdəˌkaɪ /

noun

Old Testament the cousin of Esther who averted a massacre of the Jews (Esther 2–9)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Mordecai Kaplan defined God as a spiritual and ethical power within us that urges us to do good.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

In the story of Esther, Mordecai entreats his niece to step into her Jewishness to prevent atrocities from happening.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2025

Mordecai Miller, a 74-year-old resident of Redwood City, said he felt pain for both sides, but felt closer to the plight of Israelis after Oct.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2024

“Today was just a rollercoaster, up and down,” Mordecai said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2024

Siobhan rubbed her bracelet for luck as Reggie warmed up with his teammate, Mordecai.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023