Esther

American  

[es-ter] / ˈɛs tər /

noun

1. the wife of Ahasuerus.

2. a book of the Bible bearing her name. Esth.

3. a number of prayers, visions, interpretations of dreams, etc., that are included in the Douay Bible as chapters 10–16.

4. a female given name.

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Esther British  

/ ˈɛstə /

noun

1. a beautiful Jewish woman who became queen of Persia and saved her people from massacre

2. the book in which this episode is recounted

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Esther Cultural  

1. A book of the Old Testament that tells the story of a beautiful Jewish woman named Esther who is chosen by the king of Persia (now Iran; see Persian Empire) to be his queen. Esther, with the aid of her cousin Mordecai, stops a plot to massacre the Jews (see also Jews) in Persia, and Mordecai becomes the king's chief minister.

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Discover More

This event is celebrated by Jews as the feast of Purim.

Etymology

Origin of Esther

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin Hester, from Greek Esthēr, from Hebrew Estēr; further origin uncertain; possibly from Persian sitareh, setāre “star, fate”; possibly from Akkadian Ishtar; cf. Aphrodite ( def. ), Ishtar ( def. ), star ( def. )

Example Sentences

Esther works in the boutique and helps others find their dream outfit.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Esther Holm, her attorney, told jurors Friday that the evidence will show her client “never saw the children in the crosswalk.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

“Markets ‘moved on’ from the war and oil prices when gas prices stopped going up,” Esther Sholes, senior macro analyst at Take Profit Trader, and former portfolio manager at Millennium Investment Management, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

"Space is one of the few areas that Americans with different political views can enjoy and watch together," said Esther Brimmer, a senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations who specialises in space policy.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Joan grew wistful "You'll come visit me, won't you, Esther?"

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath