Adam

American  

[ad-uhm, a-dahn] / ˈæd əm, aˈdɑ̃ /

noun

1. the name of the first man, according to the Bible: husband of Eve and progenitor of the human race.

2. Adolphe Charles 1803–56, French composer of comic opera and ballet music.

3. James, 1730–94, and his brother Robert, 1728–92, English architects and furniture designers.

4. Lambert Sigisbert 1700–59, and his brother Nicholas Sébastien 1705–78, French sculptors.

5. a first name.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the style of architecture, decoration, or furnishings associated with Robert and James Adam, characterized by free adaptation of ancient Roman forms and interiors treated with delicate ornament generally painted in light, vivid colors.

idioms

1. not know from Adam, to be unacquainted with.

   He says hello to us every morning, but we don't know him from Adam.

2. the old Adam, the natural tendency toward sin.

   He attributed his wild outburst to the old Adam in him.

Adam ¹ British  

/ ˈædəm /

noun

1. Old Testament the first man, created by God: the progenitor of the human race (Genesis 2–3)

2. to have no knowledge of or acquaintance with someone

3. the evil supposedly inherent in human nature

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Adam ² British  

noun

1. Adolphe. 1803–56, French composer, best known for his romantic ballet Giselle (1841)

2. Robert. 1728–92, Scottish architect and furniture designer. Assisted by his brother, James, 1730–94, he emulated the harmony of classical and Italian Renaissance architecture

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adjective

1. in the neoclassical style made popular by Robert Adam

Adam More Idioms  

1. see not know from Adam.

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Etymology

Origin of Adam

From the Hebrew word ādhām literally, “man”

Example Sentences

The more left-wing Democratic candidate, Adam Hamawy, won in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District with 28%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Frankly, the dorky version of Adam is more fun than the heroic He-Man, even with Knight hammering us every minute to laugh that he’s a total weakling.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

“We continue to respect gold’s longer-term uptrend and are monitoring for confirmation that support is holding,” writes LPL Financial’s chief technical strategist Adam Turnquist.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

The proposal will help Americans diversify their retirement investments from the “cookie-cutter” norm out there now, said Adam Bergman, founder of IRA Financial, a provider of self-directed IRAs.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

It sounded like Adam was pretty upset at Principal Butler.

From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon