Asa

¹ American  

[ey-suh] / ˈeɪ sə /

noun

1. (in the Bible) a king of Judah, 913?–873? b.c.

---

ASA ² American  

abbreviation

1. Acoustical Society of America.

2. American Standards Association: former name of the American National Standards Institute.

3. the numerical exposure index of a photographic film under the system adopted by the American Standards Association, used to indicate the light sensitivity of the film's emulsion.

---

ASA British  

abbreviation

1. (in Britain) Amateur Swimming Association

2. (in Britain) Advertising Standards Authority

3. (in the US) American Standards Association

---

Etymology

Origin of Asa

From Hebrew ʾasāʾ, of uncertain meaning

Example Sentences

During the brief hearing, his ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, watched from the back of the room expressionless and dressed in black, alongside her and Heuermann's daughter who held tissues in her hand.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

This newsletter was curated and edited by Dan Gallagher and Asa Fitch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

“We don’t believe the full effect of tariffs have been felt,” said Asa Johansson, the OECD’s director for policy and research.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

Earlier this year, a play called Second Best, starring Sex Education's Asa Butterfield, told the story of a former child actor who narrowly missed out on playing Harry Potter when he was younger.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

He had also sent the sketch to Asa Gray, the American botanist, about a year earlier “so that I could most truly say & prove that I take nothing from Wallace.”

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman