Noel

American  

[noh-el, noh-uhl, nohl] / noʊˈɛl, ˈnoʊ əl, noʊl /

noun

1. Christmas.

2. (lowercase) a Christmas song or carol.

3. a male given name.

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Noel British  

/ nəʊˈɛl /

noun

1. (esp in carols) another word for Christmas

2. rare (often not capital) a Christmas carol

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Usage

What does Noel mean? Noel is another word for Christmas, the Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity.Most Christians celebrate the holiday on December 25, but it is celebrated on January 7 in the Orthodox Church due to the use of a different calendar.Christmas is also widely observed in secular (nonreligious) ways. Popular activities include the decoration of a Christmas tree and the exchange of gifts.However, the word Noel is often used in a religious context. It’s possible for people to wish each other a Happy Noel, but the word is perhaps most commonly seen written on things like Christmas cards and decorations.The word can also be used to refer to a Christmas carol or song (in which case it is not capitalized), but is no longer commonly used this way.Fittingly, most people know the word from the popular Christmas carol “The First Noel.”Example: We wish you and your family a joyous Noel!

Etymology

Origin of Noel

First recorded in 1805–15; from French Nöel, ultimately from Latin nātālis (diēs) “birthday”; natal

Example Sentences

Noel Anenberg is a professor of creative writing at Pierce College in Los Angeles and author of the novel “The Dog Boy.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Noel Alden, a Mount Vernon lawyer who ran as a Republican for a county judge post in 2016, is an Indivisible supporter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Noel delivered a clean run to ensure his Finnish rival didn't stay long in the leader's chair.

From Barron's

"We're more and more dependent, especially from the American hyperscalers" or major data centre operators, said Maya Noel, director general of the France Digitale network of tech companies and investment firms.

From Barron's

"The Epiphone Sheraton first came into my world when I borrowed Noel's for Oasis tours and recording," he said.

From BBC