William Henry Seward

1 8.0

A United States Secretary of State who helped buy Alaska from Russia in 1867

proper noun
/ˈwɪljəm ˈhɛnri ˈsuːərd/

: William Henry Seward

As Secretary of State, William Henry Seward was an influential figure in Abraham Lincoln's administration.

Examples

The famous William Henry Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska.
The purchase of Alaska was widely criticized, and many called the decision foolish, though William Henry Seward defended it.
William Henry Seward played a pivotal role in expanding the territory of the United States by negotiating the purchase of Alaska.
Did William Henry Seward really call Alaska 'Seward's Folly'?
William Henry Seward was instrumental in negotiating the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867.
As Secretary of State, William Henry Seward played a key role in expanding the United States' territory.
Many criticized William Henry Seward's decision to buy Alaska, calling it 'Seward's Folly.'

Synonyms

Seward

vsWilliam Henry Seward

4 8.7

An American politician who was Secretary of State and helped buy Alaska

is the full personal name rather than the short surname form

Surface Forms

William Henry Seward main

Morphology

William + Henry + Seward

This is a personal name (a proper noun), so knowing the constituent names 'William', 'Henry', and 'Seward' does not let a B1 learner infer the biographical meaning (that he was a U.S. politician and negotiated the Alaska purchase). Proper names and named historical events are encyclopedic/occasional knowledge rather than compositional word meanings, so the expression is opaque to learners who only know the parts.

Etymology

William Henry Seward arranged the 1867 purchase of Alaska, a huge, cold land that many people at the time thought useless. Because people called the deal 'Seward's Folly' as a 'foolish' choice, his name is still remembered for that purchase today.