rabbi

noun

rab·​bi ˈra-ˌbī 

1

: master, teacher

—used by Jews as a term of address

2

: a Jew qualified to expound and apply the halacha and other Jewish law

3

: a Jew trained and ordained for professional religious leadership

specifically : the official leader of a Jewish congregation

Examples of rabbi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There's no studio and no special effects -- just a smartphone, a tripod and a rabbi. — Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 22 June 2026

In Hesse, a rabbi was shoved in a supermarket in front of his children and had his cell phone snatched from him. — Toby Axelrod, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026

Earlier this year, Lion moved into an adjacent home, and the rabbi said that tensions began to rise. — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

His opponent, Stephanie Ruskay, struggled to articulate a clear rationale for her candidacy — one week running as a mom, the next as a rabbi. — Bradley Honan, New York Daily News, 28 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek rhabbi, from Hebrew rabbī my master, from rabh master + -ī my

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rabbi

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• decry
• defy
• deny

Kids Definition

rabbi

noun

rab·​bi ˈrab-ˌī 

1

: master entry 1 sense 1a, teacher

—used as a term of address for Jewish religious leaders

2

: a professionally trained leader of a Jewish congregation

rabbinic

rə-ˈbin-ik, 

ra-

adjective

or rabbinical

-i-kəl

Etymology

Old English rabbi "term of address used for Jewish religious leaders," from Latin rabbi (same meaning), from Greek rhabbi (same meaning), from Hebrew rabbī "my master," from rabh "master" and the suffix -ī "my"