Percival
Americannoun
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Arthurian Legend. Also Percivale a knight of King Arthur's court who sought the Holy Grail: comparable to Parzival or Parsifal in Teutonic legend.
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a male given name.
noun
Etymology
Origin of Percival
From Old French Perceval, of disputed origin; perhaps literally “pierce the valley” ( see pierce ( def. ), vale ( def. )) or “through this valley” (from par “through” + cel “this” + val “valley”; see per ( def. )); alternatively, an alteration of Welsh Peredur
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.
In the 1890s, long-simmering dreams of an inhabited Mars found a foothold in the U.S., fanned by wealthy astronomer Percival Lowell, who built an Arizona observatory.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Garner, 31, looked down as Percival read a statement, in which she said he had denied her grandfather a "dignified death".
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
Percival, in turn, has been instrumental in raising the capital for a new community hub, which was built in 2023.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026
Mr. Percival is general counsel for the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
Percival muttered something and the assembly laughed again.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
