"Ken" meaning in English

See Ken in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proper name

IPA: /kɛn/, /kɪn/ [pin-pen-merger] Audio: En-us-ken.ogg [US]
Rhymes: -ɛn Head templates: {{en-prop}} Ken
  1. A diminutive of the male given name Kenneth.
    Sense id: en-Ken-en-name-iGB~Aoyt Categories (other): English diminutives of male given names, English given names, English male given names
  2. (colloquial, in combination) Kensington in London. Tags: colloquial, in-compounds
    Sense id: en-Ken-en-name-S3uJZaLE Categories (other): Neighbourhoods in Greater London, England Disambiguation of Neighbourhoods in Greater London, England: 12 56 20 12
  3. Synonym of Ken doll. Synonyms: Ken doll [synonym, synonym-of] Derived forms: Ken Burns effect, Red Ken
    Sense id: en-Ken-en-name-saiNNOcw Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 5 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 8 19 70 3 Disambiguation of Pages with 5 entries: 14 16 54 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 9 18 64 9
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Proper name

IPA: /kɛn/, /kɪn/ [pin-pen-merger] Audio: En-us-ken.ogg [US] Forms: Kens [plural]
Rhymes: -ɛn Head templates: {{en-proper noun|s}} Ken (plural Kens)
  1. A surname.
    Sense id: en-Ken-en-name-EMUC1F3L Categories (other): English surnames
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Ken",
      "name": "en-prop"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English diminutives of male given names",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English given names",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English male given names",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              260,
              263
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2023 June 21, Haley Talbot and Kristin Wilson, “House votes to censure Democratic congressman who led Trump investigations”, in CNN:",
          "text": "The vote was 213-209 along party lines. Republican members of the House Ethics Committee – Michael Guest of Mississippi, Dave Joyce of Ohio, Andrew Garbarino of New York, John Rutherford of Florida and Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota – voted present. GOP Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado also voted present but he is not on the Ethics Committee.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of the male given name Kenneth."
      ],
      "id": "en-Ken-en-name-iGB~Aoyt",
      "links": [
        [
          "diminutive",
          "diminutive"
        ],
        [
          "given name",
          "given name"
        ],
        [
          "Kenneth",
          "Kenneth#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "12 56 20 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Neighbourhoods in Greater London, England",
          "orig": "en:Neighbourhoods in Greater London, England",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ],
            [
              53,
              56
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2003, Rob Humphreys, The Rough Guide to London, page 327:",
          "text": "Kensington High Street — better known as High Street Ken after the nearby tube — is dominated architecturally by […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              36,
              39
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2015, James Sherwood, James Sherwood's Discriminating Guide to London:",
          "text": "The ladies (and gentlemen) of South Ken and Chelsea do like their raw food, and Daphne's does a terrific tuna tartare with avocado and wild fennel, black figs, gorgonzola and hazelnuts; […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Kensington in London."
      ],
      "id": "en-Ken-en-name-S3uJZaLE",
      "links": [
        [
          "Kensington",
          "Kensington"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial, in combination) Kensington in London."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "in-compounds"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "8 19 70 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 16 54 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 5 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 18 64 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 2 92",
          "word": "Ken Burns effect"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 2 92",
          "word": "Red Ken"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              37,
              41
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2007, Vanessa Rose Lee, The Beauty Queen and the School Nerd:",
          "text": "After the ceremony, the \"Barbies and Kens\" (excluding Tommy and Britney) gathered at Lindsay's mansion to have a barbeque party. They laughed and talked about good times and vowed to remain friends forever.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of Ken doll."
      ],
      "id": "en-Ken-en-name-saiNNOcw",
      "links": [
        [
          "Ken doll",
          "Ken doll#English"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "Ken doll"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kɛn/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɪn/",
      "tags": [
        "pin-pen-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-ken.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/33/En-us-ken.ogg/En-us-ken.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/En-us-ken.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛn"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "ken"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "kin (pin–pen merger)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Ken"
}

{
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Kens",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "s"
      },
      "expansion": "Ken (plural Kens)",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English surnames",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
      "id": "en-Ken-en-name-EMUC1F3L",
      "links": [
        [
          "surname",
          "surname"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kɛn/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɪn/",
      "tags": [
        "pin-pen-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-ken.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/33/En-us-ken.ogg/En-us-ken.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/En-us-ken.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛn"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "ken"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "kin (pin–pen merger)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Ken"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms with homophones",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛn",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛn/1 syllable",
    "en:Neighbourhoods in Greater London, England"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "Ken Burns effect"
    },
    {
      "word": "Red Ken"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Ken",
      "name": "en-prop"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English diminutives of male given names",
        "English given names",
        "English male given names",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              260,
              263
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2023 June 21, Haley Talbot and Kristin Wilson, “House votes to censure Democratic congressman who led Trump investigations”, in CNN:",
          "text": "The vote was 213-209 along party lines. Republican members of the House Ethics Committee – Michael Guest of Mississippi, Dave Joyce of Ohio, Andrew Garbarino of New York, John Rutherford of Florida and Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota – voted present. GOP Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado also voted present but he is not on the Ethics Committee.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of the male given name Kenneth."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "diminutive",
          "diminutive"
        ],
        [
          "given name",
          "given name"
        ],
        [
          "Kenneth",
          "Kenneth#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              3
            ],
            [
              53,
              56
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2003, Rob Humphreys, The Rough Guide to London, page 327:",
          "text": "Kensington High Street — better known as High Street Ken after the nearby tube — is dominated architecturally by […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              36,
              39
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2015, James Sherwood, James Sherwood's Discriminating Guide to London:",
          "text": "The ladies (and gentlemen) of South Ken and Chelsea do like their raw food, and Daphne's does a terrific tuna tartare with avocado and wild fennel, black figs, gorgonzola and hazelnuts; […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Kensington in London."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Kensington",
          "Kensington"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial, in combination) Kensington in London."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "in-compounds"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              37,
              41
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2007, Vanessa Rose Lee, The Beauty Queen and the School Nerd:",
          "text": "After the ceremony, the \"Barbies and Kens\" (excluding Tommy and Britney) gathered at Lindsay's mansion to have a barbeque party. They laughed and talked about good times and vowed to remain friends forever.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of Ken doll."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Ken doll",
          "Ken doll#English"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "Ken doll"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kɛn/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɪn/",
      "tags": [
        "pin-pen-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-ken.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/33/En-us-ken.ogg/En-us-ken.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/En-us-ken.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛn"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "ken"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "kin (pin–pen merger)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Ken"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms with homophones",
    "Pages with 5 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛn",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛn/1 syllable",
    "en:Neighbourhoods in Greater London, England"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Kens",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "s"
      },
      "expansion": "Ken (plural Kens)",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English surnames"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "surname",
          "surname"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kɛn/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/kɪn/",
      "tags": [
        "pin-pen-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-ken.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/33/En-us-ken.ogg/En-us-ken.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/En-us-ken.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛn"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "ken"
    },
    {
      "homophone": "kin (pin–pen merger)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Ken"
}

Download raw JSONL data for Ken meaning in English (4.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-08-28 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-08-05 using wiktextract (872fc7b and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.