Lazarus

American  

[laz-er-uhs] / ˈlæz ər əs /

noun

1. the diseased beggar in the parable of the rich man and the beggar. Luke 16:19–31.

2. a brother of Mary and Martha whom Jesus raised from the dead. John 11:1–44; 12:1–18.

3. Emma, 1849–87, U.S. poet.

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Lazarus British  

/ ˈlæzərəs /

noun

1. the brother of Mary and Martha, whom Jesus restored to life (John 11–12)

2. the beggar who lay at the gate of the rich man Dives in Jesus' parable (Luke 16:19–31)

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Lazarus Cultural  

1. A man brought back to life by Jesus after being in the tomb for four days. The incident is recorded in the Gospel of John. The raising of Lazarus is considered the crowning miracle or sign revealing Jesus as the giver of life. It also is the act that caused the enemies of Jesus to begin the plan to put Jesus to death. (See Crucifixion.)

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Discover More

Someone who makes a comeback from obscurity is sometimes called a “Lazarus rising from the dead.”

Etymology

Origin of Lazarus

< Late Latin < Greek Lázaros < Hebrew Elʿāzār Eleazar (one God has helped)

Example Sentences

Scientists have named this revival the Lazarus phase.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

“Liberating us from that was part of the strategy of the entire spin because we now need to do all of those things in order to create a growth company,” Lazarus said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

“Today marks a defining moment as Versant becomes an independent, publicly traded media company,” Chief Executive Mark Lazarus said Monday.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 5, 2026

“It’s horrific,” said 42-year-old Sreuvi Lazarus, who prays at the center and was at the Hanukkah festival when the shooting unfolded.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

It was on this same Thursday that John Barling appeared on national television to talk about the Lazarus woodpecker and how it had come back from the dead.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley