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

On Netflix's Nobody Wants This, the actor portrays a rabbi named Noah, who is dating a non-Jewish podcaster (Kristen Bell). —Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025

Among those killed were a 10-year-old girl named Matilda Britvan, who was there with her family and friends, two rabbis, and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor. —Connor Greene, Time, 19 Dec. 2025

The organization said that Schlanger had served as a rabbi and chaplain for the Bondi community for 18 years. —Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025

One of the 15 people killed by a pair of gunmen Sunday in an attack on a Jewish gathering on Australia's famous Bondi Beach was the rabbi who helped coordinate the event, friends and family have confirmed. —Tucker Reals, CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025

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"