Percival
Americannoun
-
Arthurian Legend. Also Percivale a knight of King Arthur's court who sought the Holy Grail: comparable to Parzival or Parsifal in Teutonic legend.
-
a male given name.
noun
Etymology
Origin of Percival
From Old French Perceval, of disputed origin; perhaps literally “pierce the valley” ( see pierce ( def. ), vale ( def. )) or “through this valley” (from par “through” + cel “this” + val “valley”; see per ( def. )); alternatively, an alteration of Welsh Peredur
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.
But Matthew Percival, the Confederation of British Industry's future of work and skills director, says businesses are "increasingly aware of women's health issues".
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
As Mr. Percival began speaking, students greeted him with boos and shouts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Addressing Garner in court, McColl's granddaughter Kelly Percival, 33, said: "Your dog basically ate my grandad, but you and your family don't care."
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Mr. Percival is general counsel for the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
“You and Percival are our best scouts. We’ll depend on you to get through quickly.”
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
