Sidney

American  

[sid-nee] / ˈsɪd ni /

Also Sydney

noun

1. Sir Philip, 1554–86, English poet, writer, statesman, and soldier.

2. a city in N Ohio.

3. a male or female given name: a family name taken from a French placename, Saint Denis.

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Sidney British  

/ ˈsɪdnɪ /

noun

1. Algernon. 1622–83, English Whig politician, beheaded for his supposed part in the Rye House Plot to assassinate Charles II and the future James II: author of Discourses Concerning Government (1689)

2. Sir Philip. 1554–86, English poet, courtier, and soldier. His works include the pastoral romance Arcadia (1590), the sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella (1591), and The Defence of Poesie (1595), one of the earliest works of literary criticism in English

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Example Sentences

Peter R. Kowey is a professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the William Wikoff Smith chair of cardiovascular research.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

Chicago philanthropists spent ‘many, many millions of dollars’ finishing the apartment at Sierra Towers, which has been home to celebrities like Sandra Bullock and Hollywood icons like Sidney Poitier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

At age 39, Jordan joins a small circle of Black actors who have won the prestigious best actor Oscar, after Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

"I stand here because of the people who came before me - Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, Will Smith," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

“I didn’t accuse,” Mr. Mwila said, as cool as Sidney Poitier telling off the white racist sheriff in the movie In the Heat of the Night.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia