English Reference

Word

clinton

Phoneticsclin·ton

/ˈkɫɪntən/

Definitions

01a surname

B1

n. a common last name in English-speaking countries.

n. A surname of English origin, originally meaning a settlement on a hill or near a river.

“Bill Clinton served as the president of the United States in the 1990s.”

“The Clinton administration oversaw a period of significant economic expansion and the first federal budget surpluses in decades.”

02a first name

B2

n. a traditional first name for men.

n. A masculine given name transferred from the surname, appearing in usage from the 19th century onwards.

“Clinton Eastwood, known as Clint, is a famous actor and director.”

“While less common as a first name today, Clinton remains a staple of traditional American nomenclature.”

03a place name

B2

n. the name of many towns and cities, especially in the United States.

n. A frequent toponym in North America, often named after DeWitt Clinton or other historical figures.

“There is a small town called Clinton in almost every American state.”

“The city of Clinton, Iowa, was once a major lumber hub due to its strategic location along the Mississippi River.”

Etymology

* (English habitational surname): A habitational surname, derived from places named Glinton ("town on a hill") or Glympton ("settlement on the River Glyme"), from Old English [Term?] + tun (“enclosure, homestead, town”), equivalent to the modern -ton. * (given name): Derived from the surnames. * (DeWitt County): Named after DeWitt Clinton.

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

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Updated

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English Reference