Saul

American  

[sawl] / sɔl /

noun

1. the first king of Israel. 1 Samuel 9.

2. Also called Saul of Tarsus.  the original name of the apostle Paul. Acts 9:1–30; 22:3.

3. a male given name.

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Saul British  

/ sɔːl /

noun

1. Old Testament the first king of Israel (?1020–1000 _bc ). He led Israel successfully against the Philistines, but was in continual conflict with the high priest Samuel. He became afflicted with madness and died by his own hand; succeeded by David

2. New Testament the name borne by Paul prior to his conversion (Acts 9: 1–30)

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Saul Cultural  

1. The first king of Israel, who battled repeatedly with the Philistines. He often felt great despair, which was soothed by David playing his harp. Saul later became jealous of David and tried to have him killed in battle. After a prophesied defeat by the Philistines, Saul killed himself.

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Discover More

Saul was also the Apostle Paul's original name.

Etymology

Origin of Saul

From Late Latin Saul, from Greek Saoúl, from Hebrew Shāʾūl “asked for (from God)”

Example Sentences

Saul, whose family died in the Holocaust, is the novel’s conscience, while Honor is its model of endurance and self-invention.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

The reasoning falls flat, but in the old words of Saul Alinsky, the community organizer from Chicago: “Never let a crisis go to waste.”

From Slate • May 4, 2026

Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Financial, said it was "the beginning of the end of Opec".

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Recognised for his role in the American supernatural series The Vampire Diaries, Obma also played the role of construction worker Adrian in the fourth and fifth seasons of Netflix's Breaking Bad prequel, Better Call Saul.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

Over the next year, Susan Saul and the Mount St. Helens Protective Association were called on many times to help decide exactly which acres were the most important to preserve.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone