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 Crain, the author of ‘The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910,’ says gold interiors served a practical purpose: brightening rooms lit by gaslight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The company was born in 1948, when Harry and Esther Snyder opened a small food stand in Baldwin Park.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 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

Esther is a former Knight-Bagehot fellow at Columbia University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

From the look on Nan’s face, Miss Esther wasn’t the only one miffed at being left out.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry