ENGLISH
REFERENCE

josephine

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈdʒoʊsəˌfin// josephine

n. a female name that was very popular in the past. It is the female version of the name Joseph.

n. a female given name of French origin, representing the feminine diminutive of Joseph. While historically significant due to figures like Empress Joséphine, it is now less common in contemporary usage.


SIMPLE

My grandmother's name was Josephine.

CONTEXTUAL

The novel's protagonist, Josephine, struggles to balance her family's expectations with her own career goals.

COMPLEX

The name Josephine experienced a peak in popularity during the early twentieth century before gradually declining in favor of more modern alternatives in many English-speaking regions.

Etymology 1

From French Joséphine, diminutive of Josèphe, feminine form of Joseph. Popularized in English by Josephine Bonaparte, the empress of Napoleonic France.

Etymology 2

From Joseph + -ine.

Usage

As a proper name, it is typically capitalized and used without an article unless referring to a specific person among others of the same name.

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