name
Karl
name
1
A male given name of Germanic origin, the same name as English Charles.
"Her grandfather, Karl, emigrated from Berlin in the 1950s."
noun
1
In medieval Scandinavia, a free (non-noble, non-enslaved) man.
"The saga describes both the jarls and the ordinary karls of the village."
How to Use Karl
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA traditional Germanic and Scandinavian man's name, equivalent to Charles.
Word Forms
karls plural
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Her grandfather, _____, emigrated from Berlin in the 1950s.
Etymology
From German and Scandinavian Karl, going back to a Germanic root meaning "free man." It is the same word that gives English the name Charles.