phylactery

noun

fə-ˈlak-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce phylactery (audio)
Definition of phylacterynext
as in amulet
something worn or kept to bring good luck or keep away evil he wore a small phylactery on a cord around his neck

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of phylactery Under the chin was the amulet, also known as a phylactery, likely worn around the person's neck. — Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024 Known as a phylactery, this type of amulet served as a kind of container to hold objects believed to be imbued with magical properties that were intended to protect the wearer. — Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024 Popular images of Jewish men worshiping at the wall in prayer shawls and phylacteries show only a small stretch of the ancient retaining wall for the Temple Mount. — David M. Halbfinger, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for phylactery
  1. amulet
  2. talisman
Noun
  • Also represented are smaller artifacts, including beads, amulets, and incense burners.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 6 July 2026
  • First, the family in the West African nation of Guinea turned to a traditional healer who suggested protective amulets.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of amulet
Noun
  • Norway’s talisman, the man looking to dump England out of the World Cup quarter-finals later today, was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • The Three Lions fell behind 1-0 early against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Round of 32 and trailed for nearly 70 minutes before talisman Harry Kane scored two late goals to send England to the Round of 16.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026
Definition of talisman

Browse Nearby Words

phylacteries
phylactery
physiatrist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Phylactery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/phylactery. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on phylactery

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phylactery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All