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

See Examples For:

Saul

The discovery that the universe's expansion is accelerating was originally made by Riess, Schmidt, and American astrophysicist Saul Perlmutter.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 13, 2026

Alongside a raft of household names on the cast list, Joseph Evans and Jackson Connor - who play brothers Saul and George Goss - are relative newcomers.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

A September 2025 report by Saul Geiser of the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education and a former senior UC admissions official, said the SAT is “a poor fit for America’s public universities.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

Garcia v Benn will take place on 12 September, the same night Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez faces WBC super-middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

I’d hoped to understand the story about Saul and Jonas, put a medical asterisk on that family legend, but if family is important, then the next generation has to get their chance.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste