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Edgar

1 American  
[ed-ger] / ˈɛd gər /

noun

  1. an award given annually in various categories of mystery writing.


Edgar 2 American  
[ed-ger] / ˈɛd gər /

noun

  1. a male given name: from Old English words meaning “rich, happy” and “spear.”


Edgar British  
/ ˈɛdɡə /

noun

  1. 944–975 ad , king of Mercia and Northumbria (957–975) and of England (959–975)

  2. ?1074–1107, king of Scotland (1097–1107), fourth son of Malcolm III. He overthrew his uncle Donald to gain the throne

  3. David. born 1948, British dramatist, noted for political plays such as Destiny (1976), Maydays (1983), and Albert Speer (1999): he adapted (1980) Nicholas Nickleby and (1991) Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the RSC

"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 Edgar

First recorded in 1945–50; named after Edgar Allan Poe

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.

His son Adrian happened to live in Panama and connected him to the Xtend clinic, run by Javier Bernard, a doctor, and Edgar Gassan, a former systems engineer.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

I had to rely on eBay sales for the 1904 complete set of Edgar Allan Poe.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

Chief executive Jannine Edgar congratulated Cox and Bruin for "closing this year's competition with a truly outstanding win and for taking home the prestigious best in show title".

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

California school districts are left in a difficult, legally precarious position, said Edgar Zazueta, executive director of the Assn. of California School Administrators.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Louis Lépine and Alphonse Bertillon had missed the lesson of the very first detective story: In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Purloined Letter,” the suspect hides a scandalous letter in plain sight.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day