amen means certainly; verily.
amen is pronounced /(ˌ)ɑːˈmɛn/.
Why “amen” is a great word
A solemn utterance of ratification, agreement, or conclusion, meaning ‘so be it’ or ‘truly.’ From the Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn), meaning 'certainly, truly,' from the Semitic root ʾ‑m‑n, conveying firmness, truth, and reliability; it passed into English via Late Latin and Ecclesiastical Greek. Unlike “verily,” an archaic emphatic lacking specific liturgical function, or “indeed,” a secular confirmation stripped of ceremony, “amen” is the sacred seal, the punctuating breath after a collective hope. It is the low murmur rising from a congregation like breath from a single lung, the solitary whisper when words have failed, and the definitive period placed at the end of a private plea—the human spirit assenting, against all silence, to the universe.
Etymology
Multiple origins, including a respelling of German Ammann or a variant of Amin from Arabic أَمِين (ʔamīn).
adv
- Certainly; verily.“Iesvs anſvvered, Amen, Amen I ſay to thee, Vnles a man be borne againe of vvater and the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God.”
intj
- At the end of a religious prayer: so be it.“As it was in the beginning, is nowe, and euerſhall be: worlde without ende. Amen.”
- Used to indicate emphatic agreement.“Fry: Bender's stupid religion is driving me nuts! / Leela: Amen!”
noun
- An instance of saying ‘amen’.“The amens of the dusty clerk appear, like Macbeth’s, to stick in his throat a little; but Captain Cuttle helps him out, […]”
verb
- To say amen.“The moment Dr. Reid amened, we rushed straight out of the church off home.”
- To say amen to; to ratify solemnly.“spending the first half of the rally amening any mention of God or Reagan”
name
- Jesus, Son of God, as the authority.“To the angel of the church of Laodicea, write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.”
- A surname.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- emunah 84% match — faith, sincere belief, conviction. vs amen →
- benediction 84% match — A short invocation for help, blessing and guidance from God, said on behalf of another person or persons (sometimes at the end of a church worship service). vs amen →
- benison 83% match — A blessing; benediction. vs amen →
- alleluia 83% match — A liturgical or variant form of hallelujah. vs amen →
- implore 82% match — To beg or plead for (something) earnestly or urgently; to beseech. vs amen →
- shalom 82% match — A traditional Jewish greeting or farewell. vs amen →
- asseveration 82% match — An earnest affirmation; a declaration of support. vs amen →
- hosanna 82% match — A cry of praise or adoration to God in liturgical use among the Jews, and said to have been shouted in recognition of the Messiahship of Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem; hence since used in the Christian Church. vs amen →