Meanings
- ChristianityAn English translation, published in 1611, of the Bible from the original Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) commissioned for the Church of England, which is the version most quoted and influential in English literature and English Protestant religious culture.
a. 1998, Jeffrey M. Perl, Common Knowledge, quoted in front material, Homer, Robert Fagles (translator), The Iliad, page i "Fagles' Homer, Sophocles, and especially Aeschylus may one day stand relation to their originals as the King James Version to Greek and Hebrew Scripture."
5 more examples
[...], and of course the Bible, the men who wrote it and especially the men who made the King James version, for it was the language of the Bible rather than its "message" which I got first and which I will never shake off.
a. 1964, Henry Miller, “The Books in My Life”, in Henry Miller on Writing, page 125The Catholic priest would have been surprised that the old shaman had memorized the King James version of this song.
1999, James D. Doss, The Shaman's Game, page 119She thought for a moment, trying to remember; then she told him, "twenty-third Psalm, King James version," as best she recalled.
2004, R. Garcia y Robertson, Lady Robyn, page 320It pained him to tell the story, yet tell it he did, over and over, in the unabridged, King James version.
2005, Michael Kun, You Poor Monster, page 19A Bible, King James Version. (This he stuck in his bag, because anybody who knows anything about English literature knows you can't ger away from the Bible.)
2005, Catherine Landis, Harvest, page 54Synonyms: King James Bible, Authorized Version
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounAn English translation, published in 1611, of the Bible from the original Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) commissioned for the Church of England, which is the version most quoted and influential in English literature and English Protestant religious culture.
Origin
Named for James I of England (James VI of Scotland), who authorized the production of a new English translation of the Bible.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Cantonese 欽定版聖經 /钦定版圣经, 英王欽定本 /英王钦定本
- 欽定版聖經 /钦定版圣经 (jam¹ ding⁶ baan² sing³ ging¹)1611 English translation of the Bible
- 英王欽定本 /英王钦定本 (jing¹ wong⁴ jam¹ ding⁶ bun²)1611 English translation of the Bible
- 詹姆士王聖經 /詹姆士王圣经 (zim¹ mou⁵ si⁶ wong⁴ sing³ ging¹)1611 English translation of the Bible
- 詹姆士王譯本 /詹姆士王译本 (zim¹ mou⁵ si⁶ wong⁴ jik⁶ bun²)1611 English translation of the Bible
- 英王詹姆士譯本 /英王詹姆士译本 (jing¹ wong⁴ zim¹ mou⁶ si⁶ jik⁶ bun²)1611 English translation of the Bible
Chinese Mandarin 欽定版聖經 /钦定版圣经, 英王欽定本 /英王钦定本
- 欽定版聖經 /钦定版圣经 (Qīndìngbǎn Shèngjīng)1611 English translation of the Bible
- 英王欽定本 /英王钦定本 (Yīngwáng Qīndìngběn)1611 English translation of the Bible
- 詹姆士王聖經 /詹姆士王圣经 (Zhānmǔshì Wáng Shèngjīng)1611 English translation of the Bible
- 詹姆士王譯本 /詹姆士王译本 (Zhānmǔshì Wáng Yìběn)1611 English translation of the Bible
- 英王詹姆士譯本 /英王詹姆士译本 (Yīngwáng Zhānmǔshì Yìběn)1611 English translation of the Bible
Finnish Kuningas Jaakon Raamattu
- Kuningas Jaakon Raamattu1611 English translation of the Bible
French Bible du roi Jacques
- Bible du roi Jacques1611 English translation of the Bible
German King-James-Bibel, King James Version f)
- King-James-Bibel1611 English translation of the Bible
- King James Version f)1611 English translation of the Bible
Hindi राजा जेम्स संस्करण
- राजा जेम्स संस्करण (rājā jems sanskaraṇ)1611 English translation of the Bible
Italian Bibbia di re Giacomo
- Bibbia di re Giacomo1611 English translation of the Bible
Japanese 欽定訳聖書
- 欽定訳聖書 (Kinteiyakuseisho)1611 English translation of the Bible
Korean 흠정역 성서, 킹 제임스 성서
- 흠정역 성서 (heumjeong'yeok seongseo)1611 English translation of the Bible
- 킹 제임스 성서 (King Jeimseu seongseo)1611 English translation of the Bible
Persian ترجمهٔ کینگ جیمز
- ترجمهٔ کینگ جیمز (tarjome-ye king jeimz)1611 English translation of the Bible
Portuguese versão do rei James
- versão do rei James1611 English translation of the Bible
Russian Библия короля Якова
- Библия короля Якова (Biblija korolja Jakova)1611 English translation of the Bible
Thai ฉบับพระเจ้าเจมส์
- ฉบับพระเจ้าเจมส์1611 English translation of the Bible
Cite this entry
King James Version. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/King%20James%20Version
“King James Version.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/King%20James%20Version. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “King James Version,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/King%20James%20Version.
Source: King James Version on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.