ENGLISH
REFERENCE

stephen

n. countable
A1 Beginner US //ˈstivən// stephen

n. a common name for a man or a boy. It is a traditional name used in many English-speaking countries.

n. a masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning 'crown' or 'wreath'. It is a proper noun and is always capitalised.


SIMPLE

My friend Stephen lives in London.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager introduced us to Stephen, the new head of the marketing department.

COMPLEX

While the name Stephen has various spellings across different cultures, it remains a staple of Western nomenclature due to its historical and religious significance.

Origin

From Latin Stephanus, from Ancient Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos), from στέφανος (stéphanos, “crown, wreath”), from στέφω (stéphō, “to put round, to surround”). From stegʷʰ- (“to enlace”) + -νος (-nos, suffix forming an adjective or noun) from Proto-Indo-European -nós (suffix forming a verbal adjective from a verb stem).

Usage

As a proper noun, it is always capitalised. The name is often shortened to Steve or Stevie in informal contexts.

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