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Barabbas

American  
[buh-rab-uhs] / bəˈræb əs /

noun

  1. (in the Bible) a condemned criminal pardoned by Pilate in order to appease the mob, which demanded that he be freed instead of Jesus.


Barabbas British  
/ bəˈræbəs /

noun

  1. New Testament a condemned robber who was released at the Passover instead of Jesus (Matthew 27:16)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

The "family friendly" show had been described as "a darkly imaginative, richly rendered fantasy story", and had been written by playwright Zinnie Harris with music by Louis Barabbas.

From BBC Jan. 29, 2025

“A Hum San Sui,” by Kentaro Kujirai and Barabbas Okuyama, the Japanese choreographers and performers, seemed ill-served by film.

From New York Times Jan. 16, 2022

Her would-be messiah is a puzzling drifter marginal to his own story; the ferocity of Barabbas and Judas seizes the narrative and occupies its centre ground.

From The Guardian Nov. 23, 2012

But producers also continued casting Borgnine in action films such as "Three Bad Men," "The Vikings," "Torpedo Run," "Barabbas," "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Wild Bunch."

From Seattle Times Jul. 8, 2012

There were feasting and drinking and singing in the tent of Barabbas.

From In Both Worlds by Holcombe, William Henry

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