Purim

noun

Pu·​rim ˈpu̇r-im 

ˈpyu̇r-, 

-ˌēm;

pu̇-ˈrim, 

pyu̇-  -ˈrēm 

: a Jewish holiday celebrated on the 14th of Adar in commemoration of the deliverance of the Jews from the massacre plotted by Haman

Examples of Purim in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Security for a Purim celebration, a Jewish festival of survival, held in the community in the Hartford region cost one fifth of the budget, Brander said. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 9 June 2026

Soon there’s a birthday party, Valentine’s Day, a brit bat (aka a baby-naming ceremony), Purim (a celebration of Jewish deliverance casually referred to as Jewish Halloween), and a game night at a beer garden. — Hugh Hart, IndieWire, 23 May 2026

But there are also Jews right here in our community doing amazing things, such as creating a program to donate kosher leftovers to those in need and hosting a Purim event for children facing illness, trauma or loss. — Jessica Tzikas, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026

The friends had planned to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim with Fonberg’s older brother, Blake, who lives in Tel Aviv. — Amalia Roy, FOXNews.com, 15 Mar. 2026

This year, Israelis were compelled by circumstance to celebrate Purim in or near their bomb shelters. — Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026

They were forced to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim last week in a bomb shelter, struggling to lift the Torah for the faithful beneath the low ceiling of the bunker. — Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Mar. 2026

On Purim one year, a group of Jewish photographers came out to meet them there — starting an informal tradition. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 10 Mar. 2026

Instead of hosting Purim at home, it was spent in their hotel bomb shelter with alerts of rockets. — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Hebrew pūrīm, literally, lots; from the casting of lots by Haman (Esther 9:24–26)

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Purim

• durum

Kids Definition

Purim

noun

Pu·​rim ˈpu̇r-(ˌ)im  pu̇r-ˈim 

: a Jewish holiday observed in February or March that celebrates the rescue of the Jews from a plot to massacre them

Etymology

from Hebrew pūrīm (plural), literally, "lots cast in determining something by chance"; so called because Haman in the biblical story in Esther 9:24–26 cast lots to decide a day on which he planned to destroy the Jews