rabbi

¹ American  

[rab-ahy] / ˈræb aɪ /

noun

plural

rabbis

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.

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rabbi ² American  

[rab-ee] / ˈræb i /

noun

Ecclesiastical.

1. rabat.

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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

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rabbi Cultural  

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

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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

Responding to the letter, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called it a "powerful riposte to the hateful extremists who have targeted the Jewish community".

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and chief executive of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, said that the Jewish community continued to mourn Kessler’s loss and welcomed “the admission of guilt for this heinous crime.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Appeared in the April 30, 2026, print edition as 'A Rabbi Takes On Pope Leo'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

But Rabbi Goldstein isn’t alone in worrying that Pope Leo may be turning the clock back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

“Sometimes,” he said, “life does seem to be unfair. Do you know the story of Elijah and the Rabbi Jachanan?”

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• priest
• teacher