Alva

American

[al-vuh, ahl-vah] / ˈæl və, ˈɑl vɑ /

noun

Duke of. Duke of Alba.
a first name.

Alva British

/ ˈalβa, ˈælvə /

noun

Duke of, title of Fernando Alvarez de Toledo. 1508–82, Spanish general and statesman who suppressed the Protestant revolt in the Netherlands (1567–72) and conquered Portugal (1580)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Alva is one of the favorites to win the vote.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

The startup named for Thomas Alva Edison has support from former Intel Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger, a general partner at the venture firm Playground Global, which led Alva’s recent $33 million fundraising round.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

So will Mr Bishop and Dr O'Connor still be skating at 68, like Tony Alva?

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2025

What happened to Mary also happened to Alva: her decision to end her marriage gained her a fortune but eradicated her public standing.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2025

‘Let’s see. I know a lot of girls and boys there. Alva Richards—I know his father. And Maggie Henry. And a kid named Mick Kelly—’ He felt as though his ears had caught afire.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023