biblical

adjective

bib·​li·​cal ˈbi-bli-kəl How to pronounce biblical (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being in accord with the Bible (see bible sense 1)
a biblical passage
biblical references
2
: suggestive of the Bible or Bible times
his biblical beard
biblically adverb

Examples of biblical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Others include biblical references to Noah, of the famous tale Noah's Arc, and historical references. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Mar. 2024 That last aspect shouldn’t surprise anyone who saw Glass’s debut feature film, Saint Maud, which plunged the viewer into the mind of a home nurse plagued by biblical visions of angels and demons. David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 The Eastside, cradle of Latino politics, is squabbling once again In the cradle of Latino political power, rivalries are downright biblical. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 What is Passover? Within Judaism, Passover symbolizes the ancient Israelites' freedom from slavery in Egypt and underscores God's faithfulness, as detailed in the Torah's biblical narrative. Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024 The international community mostly refers to Israel’s ancient biblical land as the West Bank, while many Israelis refer to the region by its biblical names of Judea and Samaria. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 She was inspired by the biblical story of Isaac, who came to Sarah and Abraham later in life. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 One recent arrival to Westchester is Najib Arsalan, 37, an engineer from Afghanistan who fled the Taliban and with his family undertook a journey of biblical dimensions. Wesley Parnell Dave Sanders, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024 In a concurring opinion, the chief justice drew on biblical scripture to decide the case. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biblical.' 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

Medieval Latin biblicus, from biblia

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of biblical was in 1652

Dictionary Entries Near biblical

Cite this Entry

“Biblical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biblical. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

biblical

adjective
bib·​li·​cal ˈbib-li-kəl How to pronounce biblical (audio)
: relating to, taken from, or found in the Bible
biblically adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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