Noel

[noh-el, noh-uhl, nohl]

noun

1. Christmas.

2. (lowercase),  a Christmas song or carol.

3. a male given name.

Noel

/ nəʊˈɛl /

noun

1. (esp in carols) another word for Christmas

2. rare,  (often not capital) a Christmas carol

Word History and Origins

Origin of Noel¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Noel¹

C19: from French, from Latin nātālis a birthday; see _natal ¹

Example Sentences

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

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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

Read more on 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.

Read more on Barron's

Arthurs joined Liam and Noel Gallagher for many of their Oasis Live '25 dates, before pausing his involvement in the tour to have treatment for prostate cancer.

Read more on BBC

Chief Executive Noel Wallace said he was pleased by the company’s top-line growth, given it continues to face slowing category growth across many markets.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When To Use

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!