alpha
alpha (first letter of Greek alphabet)
noun al-FAH Rare
Origin: From Greek 'alpha', first letter of the Greek alphabet.
Also means
beginning, starting point
Usage Note
Alpha is used in French as in English to denote the first or dominant element in a group: un mâle alpha ('an alpha male'). It also appears in scientific notation (rayons alpha, alpha rays) and in the phrase l'alpha et l'oméga ('the alpha and the omega'), meaning the beginning and the end of something.
Examples
"L'alpha est la première lettre de l'alphabet grec."
Natural Translation
Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
5 min read