Joseph

American  

[joh-zuhf, -suhf] / ˈdʒoʊ zəf, -səf /

noun

1. (in the Bible) Jacob's eleventh son, the first of Jacob and his second wife, Rachel: sold into slavery by his brothers.

2. (in the Bible) the husband of Mary who was the mother of Jesus.

3. Hinmaton-yalaktit, c1840–1904, leader of the Nez Perce: led 1,000-mile (1,600-km) retreat from U.S. forces in an attempt to reach Canada in 1877.

4. joseph, a long coat buttoning in the front, worn especially by women as part of their riding habit in colonial America.

5. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “increaser.”

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Joseph ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

1. Old Testament

   1. the eleventh son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 30:2–24)

   2. either or both of two tribes descended from his sons Ephraim and Manasseh

2. New Testament the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus (Matthew 1:16–25). Feast day: Mar 19

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joseph ² British  

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

1. a woman's floor-length riding coat with a small cape, worn esp in the 18th century

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Etymology

Origin of joseph

perhaps from the story of Joseph and his long coat (Genesis 37:3)

Example Sentences

Mark Joseph Stern: The speech is ostensibly bemoaning the progressive movement of the early 20th century, but the New Republic’s Matt Ford has a fantastic piece about how his history is completely wrong.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2026

Joseph Adinolfi and Christine Idzelis shared six charts for investors to keep an eye on as they ponder where the stock market is headed from here.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Joseph Collins, a cable television executive who pioneered broadband, died April 2 at his home in Weekapaug, R.I., at 81.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun voiced cautious optimism, saying he hoped the negotiations would "mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people."

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

She had asked Baba Joseph if angels were the same as ancestral spirits, and he had been vague about it.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer