English

Alternative forms

• Mathew (rare)
• (Gospel of Matthew): Matt., Matth. (biblical abbreviations)

Proper noun

Matthew

1. A male given name of biblical origin.
   • 1771 Tobias George Smollett, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, Harper&Brothers 1836, page 231:

     - - - My name is Matthew Bramble, at your service. The truth is, I have a foolish pique at the name of Matthew, because it savours of those canting hypocrites, who in Cromwell's time, christened all their children by names taken from the Scripture."

   • 1979 Charles Kuralt, Dateline America, Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, ISBN 0151239576, page 184:

     People with incorruptible names like Matthew are always calling people named Charles, Charlie. I wish my folks had named me Matthew. Matt is the worst that can be made of it.

2. A patronymic surname​.
3. Matthew the Evangelist, one of the twelve Apostles. A publican or tax-collector at Capernaum and credited with the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew.
   • 1611, Bible (KJV), Matthew 9:9::

     And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

4. (biblical) The Gospel of St. Matthew, the first book of the New Testament of the Bible. Traditionally the first of the four gospels, a book attributed to Matthew the Evangelist.

Related terms

• Matthean
• Matthias
• pet forms: Mat, Matt, Matty

Translations

See also

• Matthew principle