Abraham

American  

[ey-bruh-ham, -huhm] / ˈeɪ brəˌhæm, -həm /

noun

1. 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.

2. a first name: from a Hebrew word meaning “father of many.”

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Abraham British  

/ ˈeɪbrəˌhæm, -həm /

noun

1. Old Testament the first of the patriarchs, the father of Isaac and the founder of the Hebrew people (Genesis 11–25)

2. the place where the just repose after death (Luke 16:22)

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Other Word Forms

• Abrahamic
  adjective

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:

• Abram vs. Abraham

Example Sentences

Bettany, too, is more tamped down, more monkish as Salieri than his Oscar-winning screen predecessor, F. Murray Abraham.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

As injury and the postponement of races caused by the coronavirus pandemic left Sawe struggling to make a living through running, his uncle, Uganda's 800m record holder Abraham Chepkirwok, put him in touch.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

President Abraham Lincoln spent many evenings in the War Department telegraph office reading dispatches and issuing orders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

The US military noted that it now has three aircraft carriers -- the USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford and USS George H.W.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was said to have called the book’s author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “the little lady that started this great war.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock