Hanukkah

noun

Ha·​nuk·​kah ˈhä-nə-kə  ˈḵä- 

variants or less commonly Chanukah or Hanukah

: an 8-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th of Kislev and commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after its defilement by Antiochus of Syria

Examples of Hanukkah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

My stepmother bought me a small menorah and candles for Hanukkah and forced me to say the blessings on my own as a form of social alienation. —Literary Hub, 12 June 2025

Dunk ’em into sour cream to summon Hanukkah any time of year. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 10 June 2025

Christmas and Hanukkah — presents and several days off. —Bryan Walsh, Vox, 26 May 2025

And a 2020 survey by Pew found that upwards of 80% of American Jews own a Hanukkah menorah. —Ben Sales, Sun Sentinel, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Hebrew ḥănukkāh dedication

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Hanukkah

• chronica
• harmonica
• japonica
• veronica

Kids Definition

Hanukkah

noun

Ha·​nuk·​kah

variants also Chanukah or Hanukah

ˈḵän-ə-kə,

ˈhän-

: an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrated in November or December in honor of the cleansing and second dedication of the Temple after the Syrians were driven out of Jerusalem in 165 b.c.