kibbutz

noun

kib·​butz ki-ˈbu̇ts  -ˈbüts 

plural kibbutzim ki-ˌbu̇t-ˈsēm 

-ˌbüt-

: a communal farm or settlement in Israel

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A kibbutz is a communal settlement in Israel in which all wealth is held in common and profits are reinvested in the settlement. The first kibbutz was founded in 1909; currently there are about 270, with a total population exceeding 120,000. Adults live in private quarters, while children are generally housed and cared for as a group. Meals are prepared and eaten communally. Members have regular meetings to discuss business and to take votes on matters requiring decisions. Jobs may be assigned by rotation, by choice, or by skill.

Examples of kibbutz in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The film follows a 16-year-old named Dar who is returning to her kibbutz to look for her dog which was lost during the terror spree. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 23 Aug. 2025

For months afterward, the kibbutz was empty, its residents internally displaced and sheltering elsewhere amid the war between Hamas and Israel. —Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 11 Aug. 2025

Every day, members of the kibbutz gathered in a banquet hall to hear updates about neighbors who had been kidnapped or murdered or were still missing. —Eyal Press, New Yorker, 9 June 2025

Bachar lost his wife, his teenage son and his right leg in the attacks, in which 100 of the kibbutz’s 1,100 residents were killed. —Kara Fox, CNN Money, 3 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Modern Hebrew qibbūṣ

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kibbutz

• inputs
• outputs
• rajputs
• throughputs
• foots
• puts

Kids Definition

kibbutz

noun

kib·​butz kib-ˈu̇ts  -ˈüts 

plural kibbutzim -ˌu̇t-ˈsēm 

-ˌüt-

: a farming settlement in Israel that is owned and shared equally by the people who live there and run it