hilton

IPA/hˈɪltən/
KK[hˈɪltən]IPA/hˈɪltən/

hilton — noun

1. Conrad Nicholson Hilton (1887–1979), an American businessman who founded the Hil

1.nounB1
Definition

Conrad Nicholson Hilton (1887–1979), an American businessman who founded the Hilton hotel chain, one of the largest hotel companies in the world.

Example

Conrad Hilton opened his first hotel in Dallas, Texas, in 1925.

proper noun — founder of Hilton Hotels

Conrad Hilton started his hotel business early in the 1900s.

Common collocations
  • Conrad Hilton founded
  • Hilton hotel chain
  • Hilton Hotels
  • Hilton brand

Grammar Patterns

surname of a famous person

Usage Note

The surname Hilton is most commonly associated with the hotel brand. Learners may encounter the name as a company name (Hilton Hotels) more often than as a reference to the person.

Common Mistakes

Hilton is a hotel chain founded by James Hilton.
Hilton is a hotel chain founded by Conrad Hilton.
James Hilton was a novelist, not a hotelier.

2. James Hilton (1900–1954), an English novelist and screenwriter best known for th

2.nounB2
Definition

James Hilton (1900–1954), an English novelist and screenwriter best known for the novels Lost Horizon (1933), which introduced the word Shangri-La, and Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1934).

Example

James Hilton wrote the book Lost Horizon, about a place called Shangri-La.

English writer James Hilton also wrote a story about a kind teacher.

Common collocations
  • James Hilton wrote
  • Hilton's novel
  • Lost Horizon
  • Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Grammar Patterns

surname of a famous person

Usage Note

Distinguish from Conrad Hilton (sense 1). James Hilton is far less known than the Hilton hotel brand, so surrounding context (novels, writing, Cambridge) is needed to identify the reference.

Common Mistakes

James Hilton founded the Hilton hotel chain.
Conrad Hilton founded the Hilton hotel chain, while James Hilton was a novelist.
The two men share a surname but are different people.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Conrad Hilton and James Hilton share the same surname but refer to two different historical figures. Conrad Hilton (noun/1) was an American hotelier who built one of the world's largest hotel chains. James Hilton (noun/2) was an English novelist whose books Lost Horizon and Goodbye, Mr. Chips were widely read in the mid-1900s. In everyday conversation, 'Hilton' almost always refers to the hotel brand founded by Conrad Hilton, rather than to the writer. When referring to the novelist, the full name 'James Hilton' is typically used for clarity.

Conrad HiltonJames Hilton

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The surname Hilton comes from Old English words hyll, meaning 'hill,' and tun, meaning 'settlement' or 'enclosure.' It was originally a place name for several towns in England. People who lived in those towns later took Hilton as their family name. Two unrelated famous people with this surname — Conrad Hilton and James Hilton — are the subject of this entry.