Stanford

American

[stan-ferd] / ˈstæn fərd /

noun

(Amasa) Leland, 1824–93, U.S. railroad developer, politician, and philanthropist: governor of California 1861–63; senator 1885–93.
a male given name.

Stanford British

/ ˈstænfəd /

noun

Sir Charles ( Villiers ). 1852–1924, Anglo-Irish composer and conductor, who as a teacher at the Royal College of Music had much influence on the succeeding generation of composers: noted esp for his church music, oratorios, and cantatas

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

He’s been a longtime resident of Hermosa Beach, so what would motivate him to leave Mira Costa after recently making a commitment to Stanford?

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026

As a teenager, Fery opted to go on a scholarship to Stanford University in California and also played collegiate tennis.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

Given Shih’s academic background — she holds a PhD from Stanford University in linguistics — it makes sense that she brings deep research to her practice.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

“The public tends to respond to precedence and superlatives,” he explained during an appearance years ago at Stanford University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026

She charmed the temporary people with stories of Greenbriar, Stanford, and, to a lesser extent, Chicago.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023