Joseph

American  

[joh-zuhf, -suhf] / ˈdʒoʊ zəf, -səf /

noun

1. (in the Bible) Jacob's eleventh son, the first of Jacob and his second wife, Rachel: sold into slavery by his brothers.

2. (in the Bible) the husband of Mary who was the mother of Jesus.

3. Hinmaton-yalaktit, c1840–1904, leader of the Nez Perce: led 1,000-mile (1,600-km) retreat from U.S. forces in an attempt to reach Canada in 1877.

4. joseph, a long coat buttoning in the front, worn especially by women as part of their riding habit in colonial America.

5. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “increaser.”

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Joseph ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

1. Old Testament

   1. the eleventh son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel (Genesis 30:2–24)

   2. either or both of two tribes descended from his sons Ephraim and Manasseh

2. New Testament the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus (Matthew 1:16–25). Feast day: Mar 19

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joseph ² British  

/ ˈdʒəʊzɪf /

noun

1. a woman's floor-length riding coat with a small cape, worn esp in the 18th century

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Etymology

Origin of joseph

perhaps from the story of Joseph and his long coat (Genesis 37:3)

Example Sentences

Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discuss AG Bondi’s legacy, and why she may still be dragged before congress to answer for the DOJ’s mishandling of the Epstein Files.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

“They know that their customers are not going to stand for” price hikes, said Joseph Yoon, an analyst with Edmunds.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Jefferies analyst Joseph Gallo joked in his own report that RSA this year stood for “Rarely Securing Agents.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

TD Cowen analysts Joseph Thome and Peyton Bohnsack raised their United Therapeutics stock price to $660 from $575 on Monday following the trial results.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Franz Ferdinand was to eventually inherit the Hapsburg crown from his eighty-three-year-old uncle, Emperor Franz Joseph, and he planned to give the Bosnian Serbs a greater voice in the Austro-Hungarian government.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman