King James Bible

American  

[king jeymz bahy-buhl] / ˈkɪŋ ˈdʒeɪmz ˈbaɪ bəl /

noun

1. an English version of the Bible prepared in England under James I and published in 1611.

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King James Bible ¹ Cultural  

1. The best-known English translation of the Bible (see also Bible), commissioned by King James I of England and published in the early seventeenth century. It is also known as the Authorized Version. In the late nineteenth century, the Revised Version was published in England.

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King James Bible ² Cultural  

1. (1611) The best-known English translation of the Bible (see also Bible). Most biblical quotations in English literature come from the King James Bible. (See also under “Bible.”)

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Example Sentences

Then came the King James Bible in 1611, which incorporated most of Tyndale’s text.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The Bible, one of the very first printings of the 1611 King James Bible, was bought by book dealer Simon Finch from Norfolk.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

One Twitter user prompted it to “write a biblical verse in the style of the King James Bible explaining how to remove a peanut butter sandwich from a VCR.”

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2022

The pastor opened his King James Bible to John 9:3, a lesson on God’s role in suffering and sin, he explained, building toward his conclusion.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2020

Two days later, I tell Mother I’m going to pick up a new copy of the King James Bible since I’ve worn mine so thin and all.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett