rabbinic

adjective

rab·​bin·​ic rə-ˈbi-nik How to pronounce rabbinic (audio)
ra-
variants or rabbinical
1
: of or relating to rabbis or their writings
2
: of or preparing for the rabbinate
3
: comprising or belonging to any of several sets of Hebrew characters simpler than the square Hebrew letters
rabbinically adverb

Examples of rabbinic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At every grill along the road, there was pork along with beef, chicken, and lamb: defying rabbinic law seemed another sign of such Israelis’ wondrous temerity. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 In fact, the Zionist pioneers, the precursors of Israel’s liberals, were secular modernizers who were appalled by the rabbinic strictures that alienated Jews in Eastern European cities. Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2024 Accordingly, after the United Nations required, in 1947, that the new state adopt a constitution, several proposals were drafted—the most prominent of which would have overturned rabbinic privileges inherited from the British Mandate. Jordan Castro, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 The divorce took place within the month at the Modern Orthodox rabbinic court. Tova Reich, Harper's Magazine, 11 Dec. 2023 The plot concerns a rabbinic prodigy named Nahum, who falls in love with his father-in-law’s young wife and gets her pregnant. Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023 Shavuot became a time to celebrate the study of the Torah and its many rabbinic commentaries, including the Mishnah and the Talmud. Laura Yares, The Conversation, 22 May 2023 Traditionally, Judaism was based on Jewish autonomy – communities governed by rabbinic law – and taking the truth of its beliefs for granted. Joshua Shanes, Fortune, 19 June 2023 Even within the rabbinic tradition, there were regular disagreements: between mystics and rationalists, for example; debates over people claiming to be the messiah; and differences in customs between regions, from medieval Spain to Poland to Yemen. Joshua Shanes, Fortune, 19 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rabbinic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rabbinic was in 1612

Dictionary Entries Near rabbinic

Cite this Entry

“Rabbinic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rabbinic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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