King James Bible

American  

[king jeymz bahy-buhl] / ˈkɪŋ ˈdʒeɪmz ˈbaɪ bəl /

noun

1. an English version of the Bible prepared in England under James I and published in 1611.

---

King James Bible ¹ Cultural  

1. The best-known English translation of the Bible (see also Bible), commissioned by King James I of England and published in the early seventeenth century. It is also known as the Authorized Version. In the late nineteenth century, the Revised Version was published in England.

---

King James Bible ² Cultural  

1. (1611) The best-known English translation of the Bible (see also Bible). Most biblical quotations in English literature come from the King James Bible. (See also under “Bible.”)

---

Example Sentences

Then came the King James Bible in 1611, which incorporated most of Tyndale’s text.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The Bible, one of the very first printings of the 1611 King James Bible, was bought by book dealer Simon Finch from Norfolk.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

As Johnson begins reading a medley from the King James Bible and the 1875 founding text by Mary Baker Eddy, “Science and Health,” the room feels caught in amber.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2024

The King James Bible is loaded with memorable analogies, and one of the most vivid is from Proverbs: “As a dog returneth to its vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.”

From New York Times • Aug. 17, 2023

Two days later, I tell Mother I’m going to pick up a new copy of the King James Bible since I’ve worn mine so thin and all.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett