rabbi

¹ American  

[rab-ahy] / ˈræb aɪ /

noun

• rabbis
  plural

1. the chief religious official of a synagogue, trained usually in a theological seminary and duly ordained, who delivers the sermon at a religious service and performs ritualistic, pastoral, educational, and other functions in and related to the role of a spiritual leader of Judaism and the Jewish community.

2. a title of respect for a Jewish scholar or teacher.

3. a Jewish scholar qualified to rule on questions of Jewish law.

4. any of the Jewish scholars of the 1st to 6th centuries a.d. who contributed to the writing, editing, or compiling of the Talmud.

5. Slang. a personal patron or adviser, as in business.

---

rabbi ² American  

[rab-ee] / ˈræb i /

noun

Ecclesiastical.

1. rabat.

---

rabbi British  

/ ˈræbaɪ /

noun

1. (in Orthodox Judaism) a man qualified in accordance with traditional religious law to expound, teach, and rule in accordance with this law

2. the religious leader of a congregation; the minister of a synagogue

3. the early Jewish scholars whose teachings are recorded in the Talmud

---

rabbi Cultural  

1. In Judaism, a teacher and leader of worship, usually associated with a synagogue.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rabbis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rabbi¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English rabi (from Old French rab(b)i) from Late Latin rabbī, from Greek rhabbí, from Hebrew rabbī “my master” (rabh “master” + -ī “my”)

Origin of rabbi²

By alteration

Explanation

If being a rabbi was just a matter of long beards and black suits, then ZZ Top could have opened up a yeshiva. A rabbi is a Jewish spiritual leader who is a scholar of Torah laws and customs. The word rabbi comes from the Hebrew raba, meaning "great" or "revered," as seen in the Hebrew expressions saba raba (great grandfather) or hatzlacha raba (a blessing for much success). Rabbis might serve one or more of a number of roles within a Jewish community, including motivational speakers, Torah legal authorities, teachers, mentors, therapists, or as mohels who can perform ritual circumcisions.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rabbi rabbis

Even at his own funeral, the officiating rabbi described him as “a symbol of the malaise of our generation.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

The rabbi for the modern-day yeshiva declined to comment to the BBC.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

Pulte and Bemporad, the rabbi, did not, Bemporad says.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026

Crime victims like the Pico-Robertson rabbi say they just want to feel safe.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

That was the first time in my life I had ever heard a rabbi admit that he didn’t understand a passage of Talmud.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Gerami said the alliance of rabbis in Muslim countries, which range from Albania to Nigeria to Uzbekistan, helps to put his situation in perspective.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Chabad rabbis believe every person possesses a divine spark worth nurturing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026

Of Chicago rabbi Abraham Heschel, bringing 15 other white rabbis down to Selma, Ala., in 1964 at the request of King, where their arrest made headlines — which translated to political pressure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026

Specialised units were on the ground, including rabbis, search teams and dental experts equipped with mobile X-ray machines, they added.

From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026

Enrollment at churches and synagogues rose as never before, the requests for wine overwhelming some priests and rabbis.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• priest
• teacher