alpha

noun
UK: /ˈælfə/
US: /ˈælfə/

  1. The first letter of the Greek alphabet.

    1. Alpha is the first letter. [ ] [ ]
    2. Researchers often label the initial stage as alpha during development. [ ] [ ]

  2. Used to designate the beginning, the first, or the most important.

    1. This is the alpha version of the software. [ ] [ ]
    2. The alpha male led the pack effectively through the challenging terrain. [ ] [ ]

  3. A dominant person or animal in a group.

    1. He's the alpha in their friend group. [ ] [ ]
    2. In wolf packs, the alpha pair often controls resources and breeding. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

beginning start chief leader
alpha verb

  1. To designate something as first or beginning.

    1. Let's alpha test this new code. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company decided to alpha launch the product in select markets only. [ ] [ ]
alpha adjective

  1. Relating to the first stage of development.

    1. It's in alpha testing right now. [ ] [ ]
    2. The alpha prototype still had several bugs that needed fixing. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "alpha" in English means: The first letter of the Greek alphabet., Used to designate the beginning, the first, or the most important., A dominant person or animal in a group..

The phonetic transcription of "alpha" is /ˈælfə/ in British English and /ˈælfə/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "alpha": beginning, start, chief, leader.

Example usage of "alpha": "Alpha is the first letter.". More examples on the page.