English Reference

Word

alexander

Phoneticsalexan·der

/ˌæɫəɡˈzændɝ/

Definitions

01male name

A1

n. a common first name for a man.

n. a male given name of Ancient Greek origin, meaning 'defender of men'.

“My friend Alexander goes by the nickname Alex at school.”

“Alexander was a popular name in the nineteenth century, often chosen to evoke a sense of strength and classical heritage.”

02historical figure

B1

n. Alexander the Great, a famous king and leader from ancient history.

n. refers to Alexander III of Macedon, the ancient Greek king who created one of the largest empires in history.

“We learned about how Alexander the Great conquered many lands.”

“The military tactics employed by Alexander during his Persian campaign are still studied in modern academies for their strategic brilliance.”

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Alexander, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), from ἀλέξω (aléxō, “to defend”) + ἀνδρ- (andr-), the stem of ἀνήρ (anḗr, “man”). Doublet of Alastair, Alejandro, Iskandar, Sikandar, Alessandro, and Alexandre.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Common
Updated

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