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 Holm, Grossman’s attorney, said the “evidence will show that she had not earned income for many years, since this accident and prior to this accident.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

"All our dresses vary in size and we've got so many different styles," Esther Edwards, 18, explains.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Also percussive yet much quieter is Anri Sala’s snare drum, dangling upside down from the ceiling at Esther Schipper.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Plymouth-born actor Zahra Ahmadi, who plays police officer Esther Williams, said she enjoyed it looking at stories "culturally relevant to the area".

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

She’d worked a full month at the nursing home without the normal complaints, she and Miss Esther were regulars at ladies’ night bingo, and she went to Holly’s classes once a week.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry