Nathan

American

[ney-thuhn] / ˈneɪ θən /

noun

(in the Bible) a prophet during the reigns of David and Solomon.
George Jean, 1882–1958, U.S. drama critic, author, and editor.
Robert, 1894–1985, U.S. novelist and poet.
a male given name.

Nathan British

/ ˈneɪθən /

noun

Old Testament a prophet at David's court (II Samuel 7:1–17; 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 Nathan

Ultimately from Hebrew Nāthān “he (God) gave”

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.

Elsewhere on campus, Sarah Jachim, Ph.D., -- who was also completing graduate research at the time -- was studying aging and senescent cells in the laboratory of Nathan LeBrasseur, Ph.D.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

French infectious disease specialist Nathan Peiffer-Smadja said that "managing an outbreak is not about reassuring people and downplaying the situation... nor is it about predicting the next Covid".

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

The British-based dissidents spied on included Nathan Law, a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Nathan Hochman and the union that represents rank-and-file police officers offered a stinging rebuke of embattled City Atty.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Nathan didn’t care that his father wasn’t going to be happy.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

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