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Daniel

American  
[dan-yuhl] / ˈdæn jəl /

noun

  1. Bible.

    1. a prophet living in Babylon during the Captivity.

    2. the book of the Bible bearing his name. Dan.

  2. Samuel, 1562–1619, English poet and historian: poet laureate 1599–1619.

  3. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “the Lord is my judge.”


Daniel 1 British  
/ ˈdænjəl /

noun

  1. Old Testament

    1. a youth who was taken into the household of Nebuchadnezzar, received guidance and apocalyptic visions from God, and was given divine protection when thrown into the lions' den

    2. the book that recounts these experiences and visions (in full The Book of the Prophet Daniel )

  2. (often preceded by a) a wise upright person

"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

Daniel 2 British  
/ ˈdænjəl /

noun

  1. Paul ( Wilson ). born 1958, English conductor; musical director of the English National Opera (1997–2005)

  2. Samuel. ?1562–1619, English poet and writer: author of the sonnet sequence Delia (1592)

"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

Etymology

Origin of Daniel

sense 2: referring to Daniel in the Apocryphal Book of Susanna

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.

See Examples For:

On June 15, Daniel Haido, an associate producer of “Fortitude,” dropped off an unencrypted copy of the movie for Netflix to view, according to the lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 21, 2026

Daniel Swain, a California-based climate scientist, tends to agree with that assessment.

From Slate Aug. 21, 2026

"While the first straw poll set the scene for the Secretary-General race, the second may give us some direction about where it is headed," said the International Crisis Group's Daniel Forti.

From Barron's Aug. 21, 2026

The BBC's UK correspondent Daniel Sandford looks at what it will mean for the family's security.

From BBC Aug. 20, 2026

Akira’s dad hustled her into the back seat of the car next to Sue, then ran to the passenger side and hopped in next to Daniel.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

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