amen

Inherited from Middle English amen, from Old English āmen, from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, verily”) (cognate with Arabic آمِينَ (ʔāmīna), Classical Syriac ܐܡܝܢ (ʾāmên)). In Old English, it was used only at the end of the Gospels. Elsewhere, it was translated as sōþlīċe! (“truly”, “indeed!”), swā hit is (“so it is”), and sīe! (“[so] be it!”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /(ˌ)ɑːˈmɛn/, (uncommon, chiefly for strong agreement) /(ˌ)eɪˈmɛn/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /(ˌ)ɑːˈmɛn/, /(ˌ)eɪˈmɛn/, /ˈeɪmɛn/
• Both pronunciations are used, sometimes even by the same speaker depending on the context.

  • Audio (Southern England):

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  • Audio (Southern England):

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  • Audio (US):

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  • Audio (Ashkenazi):

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• Rhymes: -ɛn, -eɪmɛn

amen

1. At the end of religious prayers: so be it.
   • 1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “At the Communion”, in The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC, folio lxxii, recto:

     As it was in the beginning, is nowe, and euerſhall be: worlde without ende. Amen.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Nehemiah 5:13, column 1:

     Alſo I ſhooke my lap, and ſaid, So God ſhake out euery man from his houſe, and from his labour, that performeth not this promiſe, euen thus be he ſhaken out, and emptied. And all the Congregation ſaid, Amen, and praiſed the Lord. And the people did according to this promiſe.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 72:18–19, column 1:

     Bleſſed be the Lord God, the God of Iſrael, who only doth wonderous things. And bleſſed be his glorious name for euer, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen.

   • 1662, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea”, in The Book of Common-Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, […], London: […] John Bill, and Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC, column 2:

     For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

   • 1962, Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Proclamation of Emergency‎^[1], page 14:

     May GOD, to Whom be praise and whose name be exalted, the King of Kings, vouchsafe His grace and may the Prophet Muhammed (on whom be the benediction and peace of GOD) grant His Blessings to this Proclamation. Amen! O Lord of the Universe!

2. (colloquial) Used to indicate emphatic agreement.
   • 1999 May, Matt Groening, “Hell Is Other Robots”, in Futurama, season 1, episode 9:

     Fry: Bender's stupid religion is driving me nuts! / Leela: Amen!

• and the church says amen
• awoman
• yes and amen

amen (not comparable)

1. (biblical) Certainly; verily.
   • 1582, English College of Rheims, transl., The New Testament of Jesus Christ‎^[2], John 3:5, page 222:

     Iesvs anſvvered, Amen, Amen I ſay to thee, Vnles a man be borne againe of vvater and the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God.

amen (plural amens)

1. An instance of saying ‘amen’.
   • 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC:

     The amens of the dusty clerk appear, like Macbeth’s, to stick in his throat a little; but Captain Cuttle helps him out, […]

   • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 12:

     [H]is `Amens' were ejected at the pulpit with the severity of a reprimand.

   • 2006, Evault Boswell, The Iron Mountain Baby:

     A chorus of amens rang out across the audience.

• amen curler

amen (third-person singular simple present amens, present participle amening, simple past and past participle amened)

1. (intransitive) To say amen.
   • 1942, Emily Carr, “Sunday”, in The Book of Small, Toronto, Ont.: Oxford University Press, →OCLC:

     The moment Dr. Reid amened, we rushed straight out of the church off home.

   • 2015, T. M. Young, Much Given, Much Required, page xxx:

     Most of the church amened and applauded.

   • 2015, Jewelle Francis, Manifest Destiny:

     She must be thinking Reverend Hopkins is talking directly to her, because she starts amening and shouting real loud when he gets to the part in Proverbs […]

2. (transitive) To say amen to; to ratify solemnly.
   • 1984 August 11, Gail Ann Williams, “Convention Views: On The Street, In The Hall”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 5, page 3:

     spending the first half of the rally amening any mention of God or Reagan

• -mane, -nema, Eman, Enma, MEAN, MENA, Mena, NAmE, NEMA, NMEA, mane, mean, mnae, name, namé, neam, ñame

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈa.mən]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈa.men]

amen

1. third-person plural present indicative of amar

Derived from Spanish amén, from Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Hebrew אמן (amén, “certainly, truly”).

The gesture evolved from the custom of kissing the ecclesiastical ring of Catholic clergymen.

• Audio:

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• Hyphenation: a‧men

amen

1. at the end of religious prayers: so be it
2. an expression of strong agreement

amen

1. to touch one's forehead to the back of an older person's hand as a gesture of respect
   • 2018 — Pescante, Rudy L., Ang Gidangatan sa Guwapo Anib 3 (24 January), Bisaya, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation

     "Ma, nagmabdos gyod si Milagros," maoy iyang gisugat pagsugilon niini human siya makaamen sa usang kamot sa inahan. "Puwerteng sukoa sa iyang mga ginikanan nga didto gyod sa miaging Lunes sa eskuylahan. Duna kuno unyay mahitabo kanako...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. to hold out one's hand to someone, often a younger person, in order for them to touch it to their foreheads

From Proto-Central Naga *hmən, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *sV-min.

• IPA^(key): /a˧.mɯn˧/, [a˧.mɯn˧]

amen

1. to be ripe
2. to ripen

• IPA^(key): /a˥.mɯn˩/, [a˥.mɯn˩]

amen

1. to sit

• ("ripen")
  • Bruhn, Daniel Wayne (2014), A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Central Naga‎^[3], Berkeley: University of California, page 229
  • Gowda, K. S. Gurubasave (1985), Ao-English-Hindi Dictionary, Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages, page 17
• ("sit")
  • Bruhn, Daniel Wayne (2014), A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Central Naga‎^[4], Berkeley: University of California, page 78
  • Clark, Mary M. (1893), Ao Naga grammar with illustrative phrases and vocabulary, Molung: Assam Secretariat Printing Office, page 160

Borrowed from English amen.

• IPA^(key): /aˈmɛn/, /aˈbɛn/

amen

1. amen

Inherited from Middle Dutch amen, from Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אמן (amén, “certainly, truly”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈaː.mə(n)/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: amen
• Rhymes: -aːmən

amen

1. amen; at the end of Judeo-Christian prayers: so be it
2. amen; an expression of strong agreement

amen n (plural amens, diminutive amentje n)

1. an instance of saying ‘amen’

• beamen

• Negerhollands: amen
• →? Sranan Tongo: amen

Derived from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈamen/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -amen
• Syllabification: a‧men

amen

1. amen

• “amen”, in Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto [Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Esperanto], 2020, →ISBN
• “amen”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026

Borrowed from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).

• IPA^(key): /a.mɛn/

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Homophones: amène, amènent, amènes

amen

1. amen

amen m (plural amens)

1. amen

• “amen”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

• mena

amen

1. inflection of amar:
   1. third-person plural present subjunctive
   2. third-person plural imperative

Borrowed from Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Hebrew אמן.

• IPA^(key): /ˈaːmən/, [ˈʔaː.mən], [-mn̩], [-mm̩]
• IPA^(key): /ˈaːmɛn/ (less common)

• Audio:

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• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

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• Homophones: ahmen, Amen (general), armen, Armen (some speakers)

amen

1. amen

• Amen n
• ja und amen sagen

amēn

1. romanization of 𐌰𐌼𐌴𐌽

amen

1. at the end of prayers: so be it

   Í guðanna bænum, amen.

   For God's sake, amen.

amen

1. at the end of creed or in Biblical translations: truly, verily

amen

1. expressing strong agreement

• nema

Borrowed from Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).

amen

1. amen

• Sandro Cergna (2015), Vocabolario del dialetto di Valle d'Istria, →ISBN, page 24

• amenne, ammen, ammenne (dialectal)

Borrowed from Latin āmēn.

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.men/
• Rhymes: -amen
• Hyphenation: à‧men

amen

1. amen; so be it
2. (colloquial) that's it; end of story

   Near-synonyms: pace, va beh, scialla

   L'esame è andato male, amen, fattene una ragione.

   The exam went bad, so be it, come to terms with it.

• -mane, mena

Borrowed from Koine Greek ᾱ̓μήν (āmḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”); cognate with Arabic آمِين (ʔāmīn), Aramaic אַמִין (ʾamīn), Classical Syriac ܐܰܡܺܝܢ (ʾamīn).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈaː.meːn]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈaː.men]

āmēn (not comparable) (biblical, Christianity, Late Latin, Medieval Latin, Ecclesiastical Latin)

1. amen; so be it, let it be
2. amen; truly, verily

āmēn

1. amen!

• “amen”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• "amen", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “amen”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 113.
• amen in Georges, Karl Ernst; Georges, Heinrich (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th edition, volume 1, Hahnsche Buchhandlung, column 375

Borrowed from Latin āmēn.

āmen

1. amen, so be it

• Dutch: amen
• Limburgish: ame

• “amen”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “amen”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

• amæn (Ormulum)

Inherited from Old English āmen, from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn.

• IPA^(key): /aːˈmɛːn/, /aːˈmɛn/

amen

1. amen

• English: amen
• Scots: amen, amain
• Yola: amain

• “āmē̆n, interj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Ultimately from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).

amen

1. amen

amen n (definite singular amenet, indefinite plural amen or amener, definite plural amena or amenene)

1. an amen

• “amen” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “amen” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

• emna

Ultimately from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).

amen

1. amen

amen n (definite singular amenet, indefinite plural amen, definite plural amena)

1. an amen

• “amen” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

• emna

From Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן.

• IPA^(key): /ɑːˈmen/

āmen

1. amen, so be it
   • 10th century, The Seafarer:

     Þæs sȳ þām hālġan þonc, þæt hē ūsiċ ġeweorþade, wuldres ealdor, ēċe dryhten, in ealle tīd. Āmen.

     Thanks be to the holy one, that he worthied us, the prince of glory, the everlasting lord, in all time. Amen.

• Middle English: amen, amæn (Ormulum)
  • English: amen
  • Scots: amen, amain
  • Yola: amain

Ultimately from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).

amen

1. amen

• Swedish: amen

amen

1. Lamy spelling of amana

Borrowed from German amen, from Latin āmēn, from Koine Greek ᾱ̓μήν (āmḗn, “so be it”), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn).

amen

1. (religion) amen! (at the end of religious prayers)

• Lehr-Spławiński, T.; Polański, K. (1962), “amen”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka Drzewian połabskich [Etymological Dictionary of the Polabian Drevani Language] (in Polish), number 1 (A – ďüzd), Wrocław; Warszawa etc.: Ossolineum, page 18
• Polański, Kazimierz; James Allen Sehnert (1967), “amen”, in Polabian-English Dictionary, The Hague, Paris: Mouton & Co, page 34
• Olesch, Reinhold (1962), “Amen”, in Thesaurus Linguae Dravaenopolabicae [Thesaurus of the Drevani language] (in German), volumes 1: A – O, Cologne, Vienna: Böhlau Verlag, →ISBN, page 4

Learned borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn.^[1] First attested in 1513.^[2]

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.mɛn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -amɛn
• Syllabification: a‧men

amen

1. (religion) amen! (at the end of religious prayers) [16th c.]^[2]
2. (sometimes humorous) amen! (used to end a statement) [16th c.]^[2]

• “amen”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[5] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “amen”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[6] (in Polish)
• Wiesław Morawski (25.08.2022), “AMEN”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century]
• Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814), “amen”, in Słownik języka polskiego
• Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861), “amen”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
• J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “amen”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 31

amen

1. obsolete spelling of amém

• “amen”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026

• ame

Inherited from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀅𑀫𑁆𑀳𑁂 (amhe),^[1] from Sanskrit अस्मान् (asmān),^[1][2] from Proto-Indo-European *n̥smé. Cognate with Gujarati અમે (ame), Marwari अमै (amai).

amen

1. we, us^[1][3]

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• IPA^(key): /ˈamen/ [ˈa.mẽn]
• Rhymes: -amen
• Syllabification: a‧men

amen

1. inflection of amar:
   1. third-person plural present subjunctive
   2. third-person plural imperative

amen

1. amen (at the end of religious prayers)

• “amen”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “amen”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “amen”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Borrowed from Spanish amén, from Ecclesiastical Latin āmēn, from Ancient Greek ἀμήν (amḗn), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “certainly, truly”).

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈmen/ [ʔɐˈmɛn̪], /ˈʔamen/ [ˈʔaː.mɛn̪]
• Rhymes: -en, -amen
• Syllabification: a‧men

amén or amen (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋᜒᜈ᜔)

1. amen (at the end of religious prayers: so be it)

   Synonym: siya nawa

amén or amen (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋᜒᜈ᜔)

1. hand-kissing of one's elders (as a sign of respect)

   Synonyms: mano, pagmano, pagmamano

2. saying of yes to everything that another says

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈʔamen/ [ˈʔaː.mɛn̪]
• Rhymes: -amen
• Syllabification: a‧men

amen (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋᜒᜈ᜔) (colloquial)

1. alternative form of amin

amen (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋᜒᜈ᜔) (colloquial)

1. alternative form of amin

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈʔamen/ [ˈʔaː.mɛn̪]
• Rhymes: -amen
• Syllabification: a‧men

amen (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜋᜒᜈ᜔) (colloquial)

1. alternative form of amin

• “amen”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018
• Cuadrado Muñiz, Adolfo (1972), Hispanismos en el tagalo: diccionario de vocablos de origen español vigentes en esta lengua filipina, Madrid: Oficina de Educación Iberoamericana, page 29

From French amen.

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔaː˧˧ mɛn˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔaː˧˧ mɛŋ˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔaː˧˧ mɛŋ˧˧]
• Phonetic spelling: a men

amen

1. amen