Etymology tree
Proto-Semitic *ʔalp-
Phoenician 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)bor.
Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha)bor.
English alpha
From the Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), the first letter of the Greek alphabet, from the Phoenician 𐤀 (ʾ, “aleph”). Doublet of alif and aleph.
Meanings
(not-comparable) Designates the first in an order of precedence.
I am the alpha male.
(not-comparable, of person, qualifier:object or action) Exhibiting characteristics of the alpha male/female archetype.
And thank you. Seriously. I'll call you later.
You better. I'm feeling pretty alpha now.
Yes, you are. 2015, Life Is Strange, Square Enix:
(not-comparable) Designates some bright star, usually the brightest star, of a constellation.
When interstellar travel becomes feasible, I plan to visit Alpha Centauri.
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, not-comparable) Clipping of alphabetical.
Etymology tree
Proto-Semitic *ʔalp-
Phoenician 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)bor.
Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha)bor.
English alpha
From the Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha), the first letter of the Greek alphabet, from the Phoenician 𐤀 (ʾ, “aleph”). Doublet of alif and aleph.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) The name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α, α), followed by beta. In the Latin alphabet it is the predecessor to A.
(countable, uncountable) Latin alpha: the Latin letter Ɑ (minuscule: ɑ).
(countable, uncountable) The name of the symbols Α and α used in science and mathematics, often interchangeable with the symbols when used as a prefix.
I will attempt to make an alpha particle ("α-particle") with the Large Hadron Collider.
(countable, uncountable) The return of a given asset or portfolio adjusted for systematic risk.
To investment professionals, “alpha” is the return over and above the market return. If in a given year the S. & P. 500 returns fifteen per cent and an equity-fund manager generates a return of twenty per cent, his alpha is five per cent. 2011 July 18, John Cassidy, “Mastering the Machine”, in The New Yorker, →ISSN:
Similarly, alphas are 2.33% larger than that of the equivalent monthly alphas using compounded returns while no changes can be found using arithmetic returns. 2001, Cheng-Few Lee, editor, Advances in Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management, volume 8, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 174:
(countable, uncountable) A person, especially a male, who is dominant, successful and attractive; (see alpha male).
This book is primarily for alpha males, or “top dogs.” We'll talk more about that later; but let's just say that if you are a man and successful in the world of trade, business, or profession, most likely you are an alpha, or you have been trained to act like an alpha. 2009, Martin G. Groder, Pat Webster, Winning at Love: The Alpha Male's Guide to Relationship Success, Bascom Hill Books, →ISBN, page ix:
I'm still turned on by alpha males. I think there are only a couple of other men that turn me on . . . ones that are clearly not alphas. 2008, Mitzi Szereto, editor, The New Black Lace Book of Women's Sexual Fantasies, Black Lace, →ISBN, page 38:
Being a beta male in a species with alphas doesn't mean you have to sit out the mating game. 2008, Faye Flam, The Score: How the Quest for Sex Has Shaped the Modern Man, Avery, published 2008, →ISBN:
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, informal, uncountable) Clipping of alphabet.
(countable, uncountable) The first versions of a program, usually only available to the developer, and only tested by the developer.
We will assume you got the .tgz version—later 2.x series versions such as 2.5.2 or 2.6.0 should be okay, provided they are production releases (not alphas, betas, or release candidates). 2007, Mark Summerfield, Rapid GUI Programming with Python and Qt: The Definitive Guide to PyQt Programming, Pearson Education, →ISBN:
(countable, uncountable) An angle of attack.
(countable, uncountable) The level of translucency of a color, as determined by the alpha channel.
(abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) Ellipsis of alpha layer.
(countable, uncountable) The significance level of a statistical test; the alpha level.
(countable, slang, uncountable) In omegaverse fiction, a person of a dominant secondary sex driven by biology, magic, or other means to bond with an omega, with males of this type often having canine-like genitalia.
Contrary to the typical scenario expected in a dark A/B/O story, in this story both Hannibal and Will are alphas—but Hannibal wants Will to be his omega; subservient and submissive to him only. 2018, Laura Campillo Arnaiz, “When the Omega Empath Met the Alpha Doctor: An Analysis of Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics in the Hannibal Fandom”, in Ashton Spacey, editor, The Darker Side of Slash Fan Fiction, page 130:
Sometimes the alphas and omegas are rare, sometimes they are only males, sometimes they have altered sex organs. 2013, Kristina Busse, “Pon Farr, Mpreg, Bonds, and the Rise of the Omegaverse”, in Anne Jamison, editor, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, page 317:
Sherlock realizes that John, despite being an alpha, sees and loves Sherlock for who he is, "a brilliant, mad, nutter of a man," instead of only wanting him for his reproductive functions, his ability to become pregnant. 2017, Marianne Gunderson, "What is an omega? Rewriting sex and gender in omegaverse fanfiction", thesis submitted to the University of Oslo, page 11
(alt-of, countable, uncountable) Alternative letter-case form of Alpha (“member of Generation Alpha”).
Some of these old standards will feel alien to zoomers and alphas. 2025 September 28, Rachel Aroesti, “In an era of AI slop and mid TV, is it time for cultural snobbery to make a comeback?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
ja アルファ (name of the letter Α, α) · lt alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · pt alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · tr alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · ro alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · km អាល់ហ្វា (name of the letter Α, α) · cmn 阿耳法 (name of the letter Α, α) · cmn 阿爾法 /阿尔法 (name of the letter Α, α) · ka ალფა (name of the letter Α, α) · ms alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · bg а́лфа (name of the letter Α, α) · sh алфа (name of the letter Α, α) · ko 알파 (name of the letter Α, α) · it alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · mi ārepa (name of the letter Α, α) · ru а́льфа (name of the letter Α, α) · cmn 阿伐 (name of the letter Α, α) · cop ⲁⲗⲫⲁ (name of the letter Α, α) · ast alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · or ଆଲ୍ଫା (name of the letter Α, α) · lv alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · be а́льфа (name of the letter Α, α) · nb alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · uk а́льфа (name of the letter Α, α) · ia alpha (name of the letter Α, α) · is alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · fi alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · cmn 阿拉法 (name of the letter Α, α) · io alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · nv álfa (name of the letter Α, α) · hi अल्फ़ा (name of the letter Α, α) · hu alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · tl alpa (name of the letter Α, α) · yue 阿拉法 (name of the letter Α, α) · ga alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · nl alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · eo alfo (name of the letter Α, α) · yue 阿爾法 /阿尔法 (name of the letter Α, α) · ca alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · es alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · th แอลฟา (name of the letter Α, α) · sh alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · cs alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · hak 阿爾法 /阿尔法 (name of the letter Α, α) · hy ալֆա (name of the letter Α, α) · la alpha (name of the letter Α, α) · grc ἄλφα (name of the letter Α, α) · de Alpha (name of the letter Α, α) · fr alpha (name of the letter Α, α) · fo alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · sk alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · el άλφα (name of the letter Α, α) · ur الفا (name of the letter Α, α) · gl alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · he אַלְפָא (name of the letter Α, α) · pl alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · nn alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · sv alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · mr आल्फा (name of the letter Α, α) · yue 阿耳法 (name of the letter Α, α) · yue 阿伐 (name of the letter Α, α) · chr ᎡᎵᏆ (name of the letter Α, α) · ar أَلْفَا (name of the letter Α, α) · da alfa (name of the letter Α, α) · fa آلفا (name of the letter Α, α) · ur الف (name of the letter Α, α) · mk алфа (name of the letter Α, α)