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

Timoner is the senior rabbi of Brooklyn’s Congregation Beth Elohim. —Rachel Timoner, New York Daily News, 2 Aug. 2025

Rabbi Brian Strauss is the senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Yeshurun in Houston, the largest Conservative synagogue in the United States. —Brian Strauss, Time, 30 July 2025

The chief rabbi of Norway, Michael Melchior, lives in Israel but periodically travels to Oslo and Trondheim to conduct services. —Dan Fellner, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2025

That is what Jesus did as a first century rabbi by modeling servanthood and teaching his followers (then and now) to be kind, loving and compassionate to all, especially the poor, the imprisoned (to anything) and the oppressed (by anything or anyone). —Walt Shelton, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 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"