Sabbath
Americannoun
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the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as the day of rest and religious observance among Jews and some Christians.
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the Sabbath, the first day of the week, Sunday, observed by most Christians as a day of public worship and often of rest.
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any special day of prayer, worship, or rest.
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Often sabbath a day or other period of rest or break from certain forms of activity.
If people gave themselves a weekly sabbath from electronic devices, it would probably cure many ills.
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Sometimes sabbath Sabbat.
noun
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the seventh day of the week, Saturday, devoted to worship and rest from work in Judaism and in certain Christian Churches
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Sunday, observed by Christians as the day of worship and rest from work in commemoration of Christ's Resurrection
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(not capital) a period of rest
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Also called: sabbat, witches' Sabbath. a midnight meeting or secret rendezvous for practitioners of witchcraft, sorcery, or devil worship
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Christians have traditionally kept Sunday as a weekly day of rest in adaptation of the Jewish observance, and in commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Some denominations, such as the Seventh-Day Adventists, observe Saturday as the Sabbath.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Sabbath
First recorded before 900; Middle English sabat, sabadt, sabath, Old English sabat, from Latin sabbatum, from Greek sábbaton, from Hebrew shabbāth “rest”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The song was “Your Ghost Again,” from the band’s new album, “Marrow Deep,” and it closed with a supercharged riff as heavy as Slayer or Sabbath.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
His verse included his debut collection, “The Broken Ground,” and his celebrated Sabbath Poems series, which explored living in harmony with the land.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Most but not all businesses in Jewish areas of Jerusalem are closed on Saturday but the Sabbath is observed differently around Israel, with much of largely secular Tel Aviv open.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
The city has been awash with fans cloaked in black - wearing T-shirts in tribute to Osbourne or Black Sabbath - visiting sites in the city most connected to the heavy metal icon.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The only thing I was allowed to do on the Sabbath was read romance magazines.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
