Definition of shibboleth
1a : a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning the old shibboleths come rolling off their lips — Joseph Epsteinb : a widely held belief today this book publishing shibboleth is a myth — L. A. Woodc : truism, platitude some truth in the shibboleth that crime does not pay — Lee Rogow
2a : a use of language regarded as distinctive of a particular group accent was … a shibboleth of social class — Vivian Ducatb : a custom or usage regarded as distinguishing one group from others for most of the well-to-do in the town, dinner was a shibboleth, its hour dividing mankind — Osbert Sitwell
From the M-W Editors
shibboleth was our Word of the Day on 01/05/2016. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of shibboleth in a Sentence
She repeated the old shibboleth that time heals all wounds.
we knew that their claim of giving “the best deal in town” was just a shibboleth
Recent Examples of shibboleth from the Web
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In his speech, Guterres took aim at two Trump administration shibboleths: That the cause of global warming has yet to be established, and that efforts to fight it constitute a threat to the economy.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shibboleth'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
The Bible's Book of Judges (12:4-6) tells the story of the Ephraimites, who, after they were routed by the Gileadite army, tried to retreat by sneaking across a ford of the Jordan River that was held by their enemy. The Gileadites, wary of the ploy, asked every soldier who tried to cross if he was an Ephraimite. When the soldier said "no," he was asked to say "shibboleth" (which means "stream" in Hebrew). Gileadites pronounced the word shibboleth, but Ephramites said "sibboleth." Anyone who left out the initial "sh" was killed on the spot. When English speakers first borrowed "shibboleth," they used it to mean "test phrase," but it has acquired additional meanings since that time.
Origin and Etymology of shibboleth
Hebrew shibbōleth stream; from the use of this word in Judges 12:6 as a test to distinguish Gileadites from Ephraimites
SHIBBOLETH Defined for English Language Learners
shibboleth
playDefinition of shibboleth for English Language Learners
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: an old idea, opinion, or saying that is commonly believed and repeated but that may be seen as old-fashioned or untrue
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: a word or way of speaking or behaving which shows that a person belongs to a particular group
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