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Definition of josephine
josephine
/ˌdʒoʊzəˈfiːn/
Jo · se · phine
Plural:Josephines
josephine Lexical Profile
CEFR
B1
Grade
4
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
A traditional female given name of Hebrew and French origin.
Example
"Josephine was delighted when she received her acceptance letter from the university."
2
A decorative type of knot, commonly known as a Josephine knot, consisting of two interlocking loops often used in macramé, jewelry, and heraldry.
Example
"The artisan finished the elaborate macramé wall hanging by tying an intricate Josephine knot at the center."
• Rhymes for josephine
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From the French 'Joséphine', a diminutive and feminine form of the name 'Joseph', which ultimately derives from the Hebrew 'Yosef', meaning 'God will increase' or 'He will add'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Josephine. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/josephine