lion

noun

li·​on ˈlī-ən How to pronounce lion (audio)
plural lions
Synonyms of lionnext
1
a
or plural lion : a large heavily built social cat (Panthera leo) of open or rocky areas chiefly of sub-Saharan Africa though once widely distributed throughout Africa and southern Asia that has a tawny body with a tufted tail and a shaggy blackish or dark brown mane in the male
b
: any of several large wildcats
especially : cougar sense 1
c
Lion : leo
2
a
: a person felt to resemble a lion (as in courage or ferocity)
b
: a person of outstanding interest or importance
a literary lion
3
Lion [Lions (club)] : a member of a major national and international service club
lionlike adjective

Examples of lion in a Sentence

the roar of the lion He was a literary lion among the writers of his time.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium announced that a female African lion cub was born on April 5. Patrick Damp, CBS News, 19 May 2026 The Lions will be at Pacifica on Wednesday for the Division 1 quarterfinals. Dan Albano, Oc Register, 19 May 2026 Gilgeous-Alexander received the lion’s share of the first-place votes with 83. Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 18 May 2026 The reserve partnered with Zambia’s ministries of tourism and parks and wildlife to relocate the 7-year-old lions from a small enclosure at a Tanzanian tourist attraction. Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for lion

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lioun, from Anglo-French leun, lion, from Latin leon-, leo, from Greek leōn

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lion was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lion. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

lion

noun
li·​on ˈlī-ən How to pronounce lion (audio)
plural lion or lions
: a large flesh-eating mammal of the cat family that has a brownish buff coat, a tufted tail, and in the male a shaggy mane and that lives in open or rocky areas of Africa and formerly southern Asia
lionlike adjective

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