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Definition of mclean
mclean
/məˈkleɪn/
Mc · Lean
Plural:McLeans
mclean Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
3
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
A common surname of Scottish and Irish origin.
Example
"The McLean family has deep historical roots in the Scottish Highlands."
2
American A census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, widely recognized as the location of the headquarters for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Example
"She works as a senior analyst and commutes to McLean, Virginia, every morning."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a proper noun, it is standardly capitalized as 'McLean' (or 'MacLean'), retaining the medial capital letter reflecting its Gaelic patronymic origins.
• Rhymes for mclean
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'Mac Gille Eathain', which translates to 'son of the servant of Saint John'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mclean. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mclean