Matthew

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From earlier Matheu, from Old French Mathieu, from Latin Matthaeus, from Ancient Greek Ματθαῖος (Matthaîos), from Aramaic מַתַּי (mattay). Compare Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ (mattiṯyāhū, literally gift of the Lord). Doublet of Mattathias.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: măthʹ-yo͞o, IPA(key): /ˈmæθjuː/, /-(j)ɪu̯/
    • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Proper noun

Matthew (plural Matthews)

Gospel of Matthew on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Matthew on Wikisource.Wikisource
Wiktionary has an Appendix listing books of the Bible

  1. A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.
    • 1771, Tobias George Smollett, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, Harper&Brothers, published 1836, page 231:
      - - - My name is Matthew Bramble, at your service. The truth is, I have a foolish pique at the name of Matthew, because it savours of those canting hypocrites, who in Cromwell's time, christened all their children by names taken from the Scripture."
    • 1979 Charles Kuralt, Dateline America, Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, →ISBN, page 184:
      People with incorruptible names like Matthew are always calling people named Charles, Charlie. I wish my folks had named me Matthew. Matt is the worst that can be made of it.
    • 2024 September 9, Hannah Rabinowitz, “Alleged leaders of White supremacist group charged in effort to encourage terrorism and hate crimes”, in CNN[1]:
      The men, 37-year-old Matthew Allison and 34-year-old Dallas Humber, are the leaders of an online White supremacist group called the Terrorgram Collective, prosecutors say.
  2. A surname originating as a patronymic.
  3. Matthew the Evangelist, one of the twelve Apostles. A publican or tax-collector at Capernaum and credited with the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew.
    Synonym: Levi
  4. (biblical) The Gospel of St. Matthew, the first book of the New Testament of the Bible. Traditionally the first of the four gospels, a book attributed to Matthew the Evangelist.
    Synonym: Mat. (abbreviation)
    Comeronyms: Mark, Luke, John

Derived terms

Translations

See also