yeshiva

noun

ye·​shi·​va yə-ˈshē-və 

variants or less commonly yeshivah

plural yeshivas or yeshivot yə-ˌshē-ˈvōt 

-ˈvōth

1

: a school for talmudic study

2

: an Orthodox Jewish rabbinical seminary

3

: a Jewish day school providing secular and religious instruction

Examples of yeshiva in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Swastikas painted on the signs of a Jewish candidate and scratched into the side of yeshiva school buses. — Seth Limmer, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026

But that would likely be even more difficult, given that the ultra-Orthodox parties oppose compulsory military service for yeshiva students. — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 10 Nov. 2026

Ultra-Orthodox parties have sought legal protections for yeshiva students who study religious texts rather than serve in the military, while Eisenkot and several of his partners campaigned on expanding the obligation to serve. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Rabbi Mendel Zaks, the Radin Yeshiva’s then-leader and the Chofetz Chaim’s son-in-law, fled in 1941 to the United States and reestablished the yeshiva in New York City. — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Hebrew yĕshībhāh

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for yeshiva

• gingiva
• oliva
• diva
• iva
• shiva
• viva

Kids Definition

yeshiva

noun

ye·​shi·​va

variants also yeshivah

yə-ˈshē-və 

plural yeshivas or yeshivot -ˌshē-ˈvōt(h) 

: a Jewish school especially for religious instruction