: 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 WebOn May 11, the couple were married in front of 167 guests by Rabbi Joshua Davidson, the senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El.—Sadiba Hasan, New York Times, 31 May 2024 Then, there was a spiritual part with my rabbi, Axel Wahnish, our ambassador in Israel.—Vera Bergengruen/buenos Aires, TIME, 23 May 2024 The rabbi walked through Jewish teachings that applied to the ethical quandary and conferred with other experts, penning a set of recommendations called the Vienna Protocol.—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024 The ceremony also featured prayers led by a reverend, rabbi and Muslim community member.—Sanya Mansoor, TIME, 17 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for rabbi
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rabbi.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of rabbi was
before the 12th century
: 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"
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