Talmud

American  

[tahl-mood, -muhd, tal-] / ˈtɑl mʊd, -məd, ˈtæl- /

noun

1. the collection of Jewish law and tradition consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara and being either the edition produced in Palestine a.d. c400 or the larger, more important one produced in Babylonia a.d. c500.

2. the Gemara.

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Talmud British  

/ ˈtælmʊd /

noun

1. the primary source of Jewish religious law, consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara

2. either of two recensions of this compilation, the Palestinian Talmud of about 375 _ad , or the longer and more important Babylonian Talmud of about 500 _ad

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Talmud Cultural  

1. Collections of commentaries on biblical texts that form, with the Torah, the foundation for the religious laws of Judaism.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Talmudism
  noun
• Talmudic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Talmud

First recorded in 1525–35, Talmud is from the Hebrew word talmūdh literally, instruction

Example Sentences

Streisand later stepped behind the camera to write, direct, and produce the film "Yentl" -- the story of a young woman who disguises herself as a man to study the Talmud.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

When he reached New York, he enrolled in a yeshiva to resume his Talmud studies—as his parents would have desired—but soon left after finding he could no longer accept all of the doctrines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

It appears in the Old Testament and the Talmud, is honored as Matariki in New Zealand, and is depicted in the logo of Subaru in Japan.

From Science Daily • Nov. 16, 2025

One former Israeli intelligence official I contacted explained his reluctance to comment with a saying from the Talmud: “And at this very time the smart ones keep silent.”

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2024

The ease and certainty he had worn during the Talmud quiz had disappeared.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok