Abraham
Americannoun
-
the first of the great Biblical patriarchs, father of Isaac, and traditional founder of the ancient Hebrew nation: considered by Muslims an ancestor of the Arab peoples through his son Ishmael.
-
a first name: from a Hebrew word meaning “father of many.”
noun
-
Old Testament the first of the patriarchs, the father of Isaac and the founder of the Hebrew people (Genesis 11–25)
-
the place where the just repose after death (Luke 16:22)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Abraham
First recorded before 1000; from Late Latin, from Greek Abraám, from Hebrew ʾabhrāhām, traditionally translated as “father of many nations, father of multitudes,” equivalent to ʾabh “father” + hamon “multitude,” or a variant of ʾabhram “high father, exalted father,” equivalent to ʾabh “father” + ram “high, exalted”
Compare meaning
How does abraham compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
By the end, he managed to orchestrate the Abraham Accords, an agreement normalizing diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Israel.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
The dreadful conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Navy aircraft carrier stationed near Iran for nine months, have been widely reported.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Brad Cooper visited the USS Abraham Lincoln as the aircraft carrier prepares to return home from a nine-month deployment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
A US aircraft carrier is headed to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, on which thousands of sailors have reportedly faced food shortages and difficult conditions on an extended, nine-month deployment.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Eight years later, Abraham Lincoln joined in the movement.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
