Babel

¹ American  

[bab-uhl, bah-byil] / ˈbæb əl, ˈbɑ byɪl /

noun

1. Isaak Emmanuilovich 1894–1941, Russian author.

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Babel ² American  

[bey-buhl, bab-uhl] / ˈbeɪ bəl, ˈbæb əl /

noun

1. (in the Bible) an ancient city in the land of Shinar in which the building of a tower Tower of Babel intended to reach heaven was begun and the confusion of the language of the people took place.

2. (usually lowercase) a confused mixture of sounds or voices.

3. (usually lowercase) a scene of noise and confusion.

   Synonyms:

   clamor, bedlam, uproar, turmoil, tumult

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Babel ¹ British  

/ ˈbeɪbəl /

noun

1. Old Testament

   1. Also called: Tower of Babel.  a tower presumptuously intended to reach from earth to heaven, the building of which was frustrated when Jehovah confused the language of the builders (Genesis 11:1–9)

   2. the city, probably Babylon, in which this tower was supposedly built

2. (often not capital)

   1. a confusion of noises or voices

   2. a scene of noise and confusion

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Babel ² British  

/ ˈbabɪl /

noun

1. Issak Emmanuilovich (iˈsak imənuˈiləvitʃ) 1894–1941, Russian short-story writer, whose works include Stories from Odessa (1924) and Red Cavalry (1926)

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Other Word Forms

• Babelic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Babel

First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin, from Hebrew Bābhel “Babylon,” from Akkadian bāb-ilim “the gate of the god”

Explanation

Babel is a hubbub, or a confused mix of voices. It might be hard for your grandfather to hear in a restaurant with background music and a loud babel of conversation. The babel of voices in a hotel's hall at night makes it difficult to sleep, and the babel of kids talking all at once is frustrating for a new teacher. Babel can also mean a figurative noise or conversation: "The babel of expert opinions on this issue is confusing me." Babel comes from the Biblical "Tower of Babel" story, in which God confused the builders of a tower to heaven by making them speak different languages.

Example Sentences

One of Babel’s “Red Cavalry” stories tells of Lyutov, a Jewish intellectual who rode with the Cossacks, as Babel did, trying to prove himself a man on their terms.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Most recently, the cardinal held a conference called The Synodal Babel in Rome on the eve of the Pope's synod, or meeting of bishops, last month.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2023

The Tower of Babel remained as incomplete as the Winchester Mystery House.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2023

While he is pushing for neighbour Argentina to join, he said any new members would need to meet certain conditions, so the group does not become a "Tower of Babel".

From Reuters • Aug. 23, 2023

There was great commerce and discussion between each dance, often beyond the scope of my understanding, the whole room a very Babel of rich tongues and alien conversation.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson