Barnabas

American

[bahr-nuh-buhs] / ˈbɑr nə bəs /

noun

(in the Bible) the surname of the Cyprian Levite Joseph, a companion of Paul on his first missionary journey.

Barnabas British

/ ˈbɑːnəbəs /

noun

original name Joseph . a Cypriot Levite who supported Saint Paul in his apostolic work (Acts 4:36, 37). Feast day: June 11

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

“Despite the encouraging headline figures, we maintain a measured stance on the broader trade outlook,” said Barnabas Gan, group chief economist and head of market research at RHB Bank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Barnabas Varga's 37th-minute goal looked to have been enough for Hungary to seal second spot until 23-year-old Parrott notched his fourth and fifth international goals this week.

From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025

The organisation first opened the centre at St Barnabas Church in Epsom, as well as a service visiting people in their homes, in July 2015.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2025

She previously served as director of communications and community engagement at St. Barnabas Senior Services in L.A. and as executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Assn. in Washington.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2024

Barnabas and my daddy ran the whole three miles home, laughin’ their heads off.”

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023