Definition of KIBBUTZIM

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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 setting is an intentional community — a socially progressive farming commune, like a hippie kibbutz — in the lazy summer days of December 1990 (Southern hemisphere, folks). — Kerry Lengel, azcentral, "‘Too Late to Die Young’ is the first film of 2019 to get 5 stars from azcentral," 11 July 2019 At night a thick smell filled his bachelor’s room on the edge of the kibbutz. — Amos Oz, Harper's magazine, "Setting the World to Rights," 10 Apr. 2019 When Marc, an Israeli transplant in Los Angeles, is implicated in a laundering scheme, the Solomons back on a Jordan River Valley kibbutz must try to make sense of the news. — Joumana Khatib, New York Times, "New in Paperback: ‘The Ministry of Utmost Happiness,’ ‘Where the Water Goes’," 11 May 2018 Ofri Cohen, a kibbutz nurse by day and an Instagram influencer by night (handle: @spotlighttime), sent a photo of one of Avnet’s dresses to Beyoncé’s stylist via DM, and a few months later Queen B wore it on tour. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "At Tel Aviv Fashion Week: Celeb-Beloved Designers, Young Talents, and Diverse Runways," 21 Mar. 2019 The official spoke to reporters at a kindergarten in a kibbutz that was struck by shelling a day earlier. — Dov Lieber, WSJ, "Hamas Declares Cease-Fire With Israel After Intense Fighting," 30 May 2018 On the Israeli side, civilians sought vantage points with binoculars and cameras, straining to see the action from kibbutz watchtowers or outcroppings of farmland. — David M. Halbfinger, Iyad Abuheweila And Isabel Kershner, New York Times, "10 Killed in Gaza as Palestinian Protesters Face Off With Israeli Soldiers," 6 Apr. 2018 Israeli soldiers inspect a missile launched fro Gaza Strip inside a kibbutz in Israel near the border with Gaza, Wednesday, June 20, 2018. — Washington Post, "Israel strikes Hamas after heavy rocket attacks from Gaza," 20 June 2018 Israel’s Channel 2 News showed footage of dozens of residents of Nir Am, a kibbutz near the Gaza border that has been hit hard by the fire bombs, launching colorful balloons carrying candy toward Gaza. — Wafaa Shurafa, BostonGlobe.com, "Gaza residents pray near Israel, as Muslims mark major feast," 15 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kibbutz.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.