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.
On Thursday a majority obliged in an unsigned order over dissents from Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Samuel Tombs, chief U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, calculates that higher gasoline prices will likely only add roughly 0.3 percentage points to headline sales in the April data.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
“Both have tremendous character arcs. It didn’t do well at the time, but it has become kind of a cult classic. Samuel and I desperately want to do a sequel.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
Take Samuel Alito, who also authored the 5–4 decision in the 2006 case Vance v.
From Slate • May 8, 2026
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd was imprisoned in Florida, but his sentence was commuted by President Johnson, partly for assistance during an outbreak of illness in the prison.
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.
