Alfred

IPA/ˈalfɹɪd/
KK[ˈælfrəd]IPA/ˈælfrəd/

Alfred — biographical name

1. an Anglo-Saxon king who ruled the southern English kingdom of Wessex from 871 un

1.biographical name
Definition

an Anglo-Saxon king who ruled the southern English kingdom of Wessex from 871 until his death in 899; he is remembered for stopping the Viking advance, building schools, and writing laws, and is the only English king commonly given the title 'the Great'.

Example

Alfred came to the throne of Wessex at the age of about twenty-one, during a long Viking war.

naming pattern: Alfred + reign verb

After hiding in the marshes of Somerset, Alfred raised a new army and defeated the Vikings at Edington in 878.

Common collocations
  • Alfred the Great
  • King Alfred
  • Alfred of Wessex
  • the reign of Alfred
Synonyms
  • Alfred the Great

    the standard English title used in history books and museum labels

  • King Alfred

    shorter form, common in school textbooks and tourist guides

Usage Note

When referring to the king in formal writing, use the full title 'Alfred the Great' or 'King Alfred' on first mention; later mentions can use 'Alfred' alone if no other Alfred has been introduced. Distinguish from later British figures and from common given-name uses.

Common Mistakes

Alfred the Great was king of all England.
Alfred the Great was king of Wessex, in the south of England.
England as one kingdom did not yet exist; Alfred ruled only Wessex.
King Alfred I of England
King Alfred of Wessex' or 'Alfred the Great
he is not numbered, because no later English king was named Alfred.

Word family

  • Alfreda
    biographical name

Synonym discussion

Sense: biographical name/1

All three forms refer to the same ninth-century ruler, but English uses each in a different setting. 'Alfred' alone is enough once the person is already clear from context, for example inside a paragraph about Anglo-Saxon kings. 'King Alfred' is the everyday teaching form — common in school books, tourist signs, and children's stories — and stays close to how other early English rulers are named (King Edgar, King Edward). 'Alfred the Great' is the honorific title used in formal history writing and on monuments; it marks him out from ordinary kings, since no other English monarch carries this label. In careful writing, introduce the figure once as 'Alfred the Great (849–899), king of Wessex', then shorten to 'Alfred' for the rest of the piece.

AlfredAlfred the GreatKing Alfred

Common collocations

Nouns

  • King Alfred
  • Alfred the Great
  • Alfred of Wessex
  • the reign of Alfred

Phrases

  • Alfred's England
  • in the time of Alfred
  • the laws of Alfred

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Alfred comes from the Old English name Ælfrǣd, made of two parts: ælf, meaning 'elf', and rǣd, meaning 'counsel' or 'wise advice'. So the name was once understood as 'the one who is guided by the elves' wisdom'. The name was rare in England for several centuries after the Norman Conquest, but came back into common use in the 1700s and 1800s, partly because of new interest in Anglo-Saxon history and in King Alfred himself.