Eric

¹ American

[er-ik] / ˈɛr ɪk /

noun

Eric the Red.
a male given name: ultimately from Germanic words meaning “one” and “ruler.”

ERIC ² American

[er-ik] / ˈɛr ɪk /

abbreviation

Education Resources Information Center: a database of articles and reports on education-related topics.

eric British

/ ˈɛrɪk /

noun

(in old Irish law) a fine paid by a murderer to the family of his victim Compare wergild

"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 eric

C16: from Irish eiric

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.

About this time Eric Mervyn Lindsay, a scientist from Portadown who knew Öpik because the latter had examined his PhD while at Harvard, became aware of his predicament.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Eric Gagné made 48 starts from 1999 until 2001.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

He once had to remind Eric Clapton of recent regulations against smiling for the camera.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Eric Clark, chief investment officer at Accuvest Global Advisors, says now Netflix can focus on delivering what shareholders care most about.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

In answer Eric slowly reached up to the lapel of his blazer and turned it back with a finger and thumb.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

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