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 app’s team includes Adam DeWitt and Eric Ferguson, who previously served as CEO and chief operating officer of Grubhub, respectively, and a handful of other veterans from the food-delivery company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Adam Townsend, 39, who started the group to combat his own loneliness, believed it could "take some of the strain off the NHS".

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

It would be a surprise if the U.S. decides to pull out of the region and basically tell Iran it can just have the strait, said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

And belying urban legends, there was no link to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve or the death of computing pioneer Alan Turing.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

“If Adam did it, we’ll figure it out.”

From "A Monster of a Mystery (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #5)" by Franklin W. Dixon