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Order and ritual are very important in the seder—so important that they are even reflected in its name: the English word seder is a transliteration of the Hebrew word sēdher, meaning “order.” The courses in the meal, as well as blessings, prayers, stories, and songs, are recorded in the Haggadah, a book that lays out the order of the Passover feast and recounts the story of Exodus. Each food consumed as part of the seder recalls an aspect of the Israelites’ 13th century BCE exodus from Egypt. For instance, matzo (unleavened bread) represents the haste with which the Israelites fled; maror (a mix of bitter herbs) recalls the bitterness of enslaved life; and a mixture of fruits and nuts called charoset (also rendered as charoses or haroset/haroses) symbolizes the clay or mortar the Israelites worked with during their Egyptian enslavement.
Examples of seder in a Sentence
Bailey Allen, Cape Cod Times, 28 Mar. 2026
In a time when polarization and intolerance threaten the democratic fabric of our nation, the image of a Seder at the Freedom Tower offers a different vision, one of solidarity rooted in shared experience.
—Brian Siegal, Sun Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
Another Orange County synagogue has asked us to cater two Seders, an interfaith Seder and a women’s Seder.
—Judy Bart Kancigor, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
In the United States, most Seders move between English, Hebrew and Aramaic, which was once the lingua franca of much of the ancient Middle East.
—Bryan Kirschen, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Seder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seder. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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