shibboleth

American  

[shib-uh-lith, ‑-leth] / ˈʃɪb ə lɪθ, ‑ˌlɛθ /

noun

1. a peculiarity of pronunciation, behavior, mode of dress, etc., that distinguishes a particular class or set of persons.

2. a slogan; catchword.

3. a common saying or belief with little current meaning or truth.

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shibboleth British  

/ ˈʃɪbəˌlɛθ /

noun

1. a belief, principle, or practice which is commonly adhered to but which is thought by some people to be inappropriate or out of date

2. a custom, phrase, or use of language that acts as a test of belonging to, or as a stumbling block to becoming a member of, a particular social class, profession, etc

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shibboleth Cultural  

1. In the Old Testament, shibboleth was a password used by the Israelites. It was chosen because their enemies could not pronounce it.

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Discover More

By extension, a shibboleth is an often-repeated slogan. It also means an arbitrary test to prove membership in a group.

Etymology

Origin of shibboleth

From Hebrew shibbōleth literally, “freshet,” a word used by the Gileadites as a test to detect the fleeing Ephraimites, who could not pronounce the sound sh (Judges 12:4–6)

Explanation

A shibboleth is like a motto or catchphrase that members of a group tend to say, like the conservative shibboleth that the only good government is a small government. Shibboleth is a Hebrew word that means "ear of corn" or "flood." In a Biblical story, the word was used as a password — a means to figure out who was part of your group and who wasn't. It still has that sense of identifying someone as a member of a group. Sometimes it also means "platitude" or "truism," a phrase that is so common everyone thinks it's true, like "crime doesn't pay," or "better late than never."

Example Sentences

At the rendezvous hotel, which is hosting both a dentists’ conference and a superhero convention, she meets a chef who has shaped butter into life-size effigies of notorious supervillains: Hellalujah, Patty Cakes, Mandroid, Shibboleth.

From Washington Post • Feb. 18, 2015

It joins several previous Turbine Hall commissions – most recently Doris Salcedo's 2008 Shibboleth and Miroslaw Balka's How It Is – in a dialogue about the social and cultural place of art.

From The Guardian • Oct. 11, 2010

There were worse things in store for poor Mr. Browborough than his repudiated Shibboleth, or even than his lost seat.

From Phineas Redux by Trollope, Anthony

THOSE, who have heard the whispered breath Of Nature's secret "Shibboleth," And learned the pass-word to unroll The veil that hides her inmost soul, May follow; but this by-path leads Through mullein stalks and jimson-weeds.

From Songs Ysame by Bacon, Albion Fellows

The Senior Deacon whispers in the Junior Deacon's ear, "Shibboleth."

From The Mysteries of Free Masonry Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's Lodge by Morgan, William