# Samuel

/ˈsæmjuɫ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/samuel
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. male given name

noun · CEFR A1

a common first name for a man.

For teachers: a masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning 'God has heard'.

- Samuel was the first person to arrive at the party last night.
- Samuel Johnson, the famous English writer, is best known for his influential dictionary published in 1755.

### 2. biblical books

noun · CEFR B2

two books in the Old Testament of the Bible.

For teachers: either of two books in the Old Testament (1 Samuel and 2 Samuel) that detail the history of early Israel.

- The Sunday school teacher asked the children to open their Bibles to the book of Samuel.
- The narrative in the first book of Samuel describes the transition of Israel from a collection of tribes to a unified kingdom.

### 3. surname

noun · CEFR B1

a family name or last name.

For teachers: a surname derived from the given name.

- The author of the new book is a woman named Sarah Samuel.
- The legal documents were signed by Mr. Samuel, the lead attorney for the defense.

## Examples

- My friend Samuel is coming to the party tonight.
- The teacher called on Samuel to answer the question about the history of the city.
- In the biblical narrative, Samuel is portrayed as a pivotal figure who transitions the Israelites from the era of judges to the establishment of the monarchy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.