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• alpha
  alpha

  noun

  the first letter of the Greek alphabet (A, α).
• Alpha
  Alpha

  noun

  (foll by the genitive case of a specified constellation) usually the brightest star in a constellation

SEE ALSO:

Slang dictionary results for alpha.

alpha

American  

[al-fuh] / ˈæl fə /

noun

• alphas
  plural

1. the first letter of the Greek alphabet (A, α).

2. the vowel sound represented by the first letter of the Greek alphabet.

3. the first; the beginning.

4. Astronomy. Alpha, used to designate the brightest star in a constellation.

   Alpha Arietis is the brightest star in Aries.

5. Chemistry. one of two or more isomeric compounds.

6. the first in a series of related items: frequently used in chemistry and physics.

7. Computers. an early phase of hardware or software development, in which the product is tested by its developers or manufacturers.

   Some modules are complete and ready for consumers while others are still in alpha.

8. Chiefly British. a mark or grade corresponding to an A.

9. alpha male.

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adjective

1. 1. (of an animal) having the highest rank in a dominance hierarchy.

      the alpha female of an elephant pack.

   2. being the most dominant, powerful, or assertive person in a particular group.

   3. Slang: Sometimes Disparaging. being or relating to a man who is perceived to be assertive, successful, and sexually dominant.

2. alphabetical.

   Put the files in alpha order.

3. Computers. being, relating to, or undergoing the early phase of product development in which a product is tested by its developers or manufacturers.

   The initial release is really an alpha version only available to developers.

4. Chemistry. relating to or linked to the carbon atom closest to a particular group in an organic molecule.

alpha ¹ British  

/ ˈælfə /

noun

1. the first letter in the Greek alphabet (Α, α), a vowel transliterated as a

2. the highest grade or mark, as in an examination

3. (modifier)

   1. involving or relating to helium-4 nuclei

      an alpha particle

   2. relating to one of two or more allotropes or crystal structures of a solid

      alpha iron

   3. relating to one of two or more isomeric forms of a chemical compound, esp one in which a group is attached to the carbon atom to which the principal group is attached

4. (modifier) denoting the dominant person or animal in a group

   the alpha male

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Alpha ² British  

/ ˈælfə /

noun

1. (foll by the genitive case of a specified constellation) usually the brightest star in a constellation

   Alpha Centauri

2. communications a code word for the letter a

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• alphas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of alpha

First recorded in 1150–1200; from Latin, from Greek álpha, from Phoenician 'lp “ox,” also the name of the first letter of the Phoenician alphabet; cf. aleph

Explanation

Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet. Many college fraternities are named after two or three Greek letters, often including an alpha. Scientists frequently use alpha to mean the first item in a list or series, or the most important item in a group. An uppercase alpha looks identical to a capital A, while the lowercase version is similar but not identical to a small a: α. The Greek alpha comes from the Hebrew and Phoenician aleph, a form of the word for "ox," eleph, possibly because the character resembled an ox's head.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alpha Alpha alphas

With every merger there’s a dominant and a submissive, an alpha and a beta, a winner and a loser.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Researchers place the PVC in a solvent, then add aluminum trichloride and alpha olefins.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

The daily quantitative process is designed to “come up with an alpha forecast for all 30,000 stocks, while limiting beta,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

“I think he really loves playing the alpha male who’s starting to crumble.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

As the alpha female’s daughter, she would be the crown princess out there in the enclosure.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

How AI and Gen Alpha will shape holiday shopping.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

The other US airman who was shot down, identified as Alpha, declined to be interviewed by CBS.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

“Filing alone is expensive,” said Chancey, the author of “Tax Alpha Solutions,” and especially when it comes to the tax brackets involved.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

Why not infuse classrooms with self-paced AI tutors like Khanmigo or emulate the successful Alpha School in Austin, Texas?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

Captain Stewart sent all of Alpha Company to the village.

From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

The implications are alarming, since there currently are four industry groupings within the S&P 1,500 index that have trailing two-year alphas of at least 100 percentage points.

From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026

The two alphas publicly questioning the mentality of the England team is something that could come back to haunt them later in the tour.

From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2025

If zoomers are delicate snowflakes, alphas are the opposite — a horde of marauders chasing Drunk Elephant beauty products.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2024

Dr. Phil, however, offered a different perspective, claiming both Swift and Kelce are alphas and pointed to their individual successes.

From Salon ● Feb. 29, 2024

We fired alphas, gammas, betas, the works, in wide dispersion, concentrated beam and just plain exposure.

From Make Mine Homogenized by Kelly Freas