alpha and omega

noun

The first and last; the beginning and end.

OriginAncient Greek τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ →
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Meanings

alpha and omega1

nounalpha and omega (usually uncountable, plural alphas and omegas)

plural alphas and omegas · alternative the alpha and the omega · alternative Alpha and Omega

  1. uncountableusuallyThe first and last; the beginning and end.

    the alpha and omega of science

    1831, John Herschel, A Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy
    3 more examples

    I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 1:8

    That I merited all I endured, I acknowledged—that I could scarcely endure more, I pleaded; and the alpha and omega of my heart’s wishes broke involuntarily from my lips in the words—‘Jane! Jane! Jane!’

    1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], Jane Eyre. […], volume III, London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC

    We spoke once of vital lungs for Society: and in fact this question always rises as the alpha and omega of social questions, […]

    1850 May 1, Thomas Carlyle, “No. V. Stump-Orator.”, in Latter-Day Pamphlets, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, pages 155–156
interjection

alternative the alpha and the omega · alternative Alpha and Omega

  1. An exclamation denoting surprise.

    "Alpha and Omega, will you look at that!"

    1994, Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons, page 14

Alpha and Omega2

proper nounAlpha and Omega or the Alpha and Omega
  1. ChristianityA title for Jesus Christ and/or God, signifying that he is the beginning and end of all things.

    I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 1:8
    3 more examples

    Here you ſee the Alpha and Omega was Dead; And was not the Alpha and Omega God? And you ſee by the Scripture, that the Alpha and Omega was Dead: And was there any Alpha and Omega that Died but Jeſus Chriſt? And was there any Alpha and Omega that quickened out of Death to Life again, but Chriſt?

    1764 [1699], Lodowicke Muggleton, The Acts of the Witneſſes of the Spirit, page 91

    I. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega of the entire creation (Col. i. 16, 17). II. That He is the Alpha and Omega of the Divine manifestations (John xiv. 8—11). III. That He is the Alpha and Omega of the Scriptures (Isa. xliv. 6; Rev. i. 8). IV. That He is the Alpha and Omega of man’s salvation (Rom. v. 19). V. That He is the Alpha and Omega of spiritual life in the soul of the believer (John xv. 5). VI. That He is the Alpha and Omega of the believer’s glory (Rev. xxi.).

    1889, R. W. D. Nickle, Light and Colour: Emblematic of Revealed Truth, page 49

    God is the Alpha and Omega or the beginning and end and, appropriately, the book opens and closes with this self-designation. Similarly, Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end and, once more, the book opens and closes with this self-designation.

    2009, James L. Resseguie, The Revelation of John: A Narrative Commentary, page 80
nounAlpha and Omega (usually uncountable, plural Alphas and Omegas)

plural Alphas and Omegas

  1. uncountableusuallyAlternative letter-case form of alpha and omega.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekτὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ
  2. Englishalpha and omega

From alpha and omega, first and final letters of the Greek Alphabet, from Revelation 1:8, see quotations. Translation of Ancient Greek τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ὦ (tò álpha kaì tò ô).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic اَلْأَلْف وَالْيَاء
  • اَلْأَلْف وَالْيَاء (al-ʔalf wa-l-yāʔ)the first and the last
Brazilian Portuguese alfa e ômega
  • alfa e ômegathe first and the last
Czech alfa a omega
  • alfa a omegathe first and the last
Danish alfa og omega
  • alfa og omegathe first and the last
European Portuguese alfa e ómega
  • alfa e ómegathe first and the last
Finnish A ja O
  • A ja Othe first and the last
French l’alpha et l’oméga
  • l’alpha et l’omégathe first and the last
German A und O
  • A und Othe first and the last
Greek άλφα και ωμέγα
  • άλφα και ωμέγα (álfa kai oméga)the first and the last
Hebrew האלף והתו
  • האלף והתו (haalfs vhatv)the first and the last
Hungarian az alfa és az ómega, a kezdet és a vég
  • az alfa és az ómegathe first and the last
  • a kezdet és a végthe first and the last
  • alfája és ómegájathe first and the last
Icelandic upphaf og endir
  • upphaf og endirthe first and the last
Indonesian alfa dan omega
  • alfa dan omegathe first and the last
Japanese 阿吽
  • 阿吽 (Aun)the first and the last
Polish alfa i omega
  • alfa i omegathe first and the last
Romanian alfa și omega
  • alfa și omegathe first and the last
Russian а́льфа и оме́га
  • а́льфа и оме́га (álʹfa i oméga)the first and the last
Spanish alfa y omega
  • alfa y omegathe first and the last
Swedish A och O, alfa och omega
  • A och Othe first and the last
  • alfa och omegathe first and the last
Ukrainian а́льфа і оме́га
  • а́льфа і оме́га (álʹfa i oméha)the first and the last
Cite this entry
APA

alpha and omega. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha%20and%20omega

MLA

“alpha and omega.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha%20and%20omega. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alpha and omega,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alpha%20and%20omega.

Source: alpha and omega on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.