Miriam

American

[mir-ee-uhm] / ˈmɪr i əm /

noun

(in the Bible) the sister of Moses and Aaron.
a female given name, form of Mary.

Miriam British

/ ˈmɪrɪəm /

noun

Douay name: Mary. Old Testament the sister of Moses and Aaron. (Numbers 12:1–15)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Miriam

From Late Latin Mariam, from Greek Mariám, from Hebrew Miryām, of uncertain origin; see also Mary ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The research, led by Dr. Miriam Lisci, a postdoctoral scientist in Prof. Jourdain's lab, focused on carbon-rich molecules, especially pyruvate.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

Fatima Ali, 19, Miriam Cranch, 22, Mack Preston, 22, and Matthew Cooper, 50, face charges relating to the Crown Jewels' incident at the Tower of London.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

The same theme of isolation guided the work of debut director Lee Knight, whose "A Friend of Dorothy" stars veteran British actress Miriam Margolyes.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson’s widow Miriam Adelson has given at least $961 million to philanthropic causes, including many Jewish and pro-Israel organizations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

She couldn’t exactly blame Miriam for poor life choices.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023