Samuel
Americannoun
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a judge and prophet of Israel. 1 Samuel 1–3; 8–15.
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either of two books of the Bible bearing his name. 1 Sam., 2 Sam.
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a male given name.
noun
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a Hebrew prophet, seer, and judge, who anointed the first two kings of the Israelites (I Samuel 1–3; 8–15)
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either of the two books named after him, I and II Samuel
Etymology
Origin of Samuel
From Late Latin Samuhel, from Greek Samouḗl, from Hebrew Shĕmūʾēl “Name of El (God),” or “His name is El (God)”
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.
A generation later, the family had a Supreme Court justice in Samuel A. Alito Jr. — the second Italian American, after Antonin Scalia, to sit on the highest court in the land.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
Three of the court's nine justices dissented from the decision: Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
The three members of the court’s right flank—Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch—dissented.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
Justice Samuel Alito’s dissent reflects a different concern altogether.
From Slate • Jun. 29, 2026
Sure enough, as the psychologist Samuel Gosling has shown, judging people’s personalities is a really good example of how surprisingly effective thin-slicing can be.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
