Calvin

American  

[kal-vin] / ˈkæl vɪn /

noun

1. John Jean Chauvin or Caulvin, 1509–64, French theologian and reformer in Switzerland: leader in the Protestant Reformation.

2. Melvin, 1911–97, U.S. chemist: Nobel Prize 1961.

3. a male given name: from a Latin word meaning “bald.”

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Calvin British  

/ ˈkælvɪn /

noun

1. John, original name Jean Cauvin, Caulvin, or Chauvin. 1509–64, French theologian: a leader of the Protestant Reformation in France and Switzerland, establishing the first presbyterian government in Geneva. His theological system is described in his Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536)

2. Melvin. 1911–97, US chemist, noted particularly for his research on photosynthesis: Nobel prize for chemistry 1961

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Calvin Scientific  

/ kăl′vĭn /

1. American chemist who won a Nobel Prize in 1961 for determining the chemical reactions that occur during photosynthesis. This series of reactions is now known as the Calvin cycle.

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Example Sentences

As Calvin Coolidge said on the 150th anniversary of the Declaration:

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Sticking in the north-west of England, there's an equally exciting line-up at Parklife, with Calvin Harris, Skepta and Sammy Virji headlining Manchester's Heaton Park on 20 and 21 June.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

"It's like if the Manhattan Project announced the nuclear bomb within a cute little Calvin and Hobbes cartoon."

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

The selection process for a new CEO, who would lead Lululemon’s turnaround after Calvin McDonald’s departure, has been the primary focus for many analysts.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Though it was off-hours, Calvin was savvy enough to usher this celebrated man and his friend in to meet the ladies.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock