Bible

American  

[bahy-buhl] / ˈbaɪ bəl /

noun

1. the collection of sacred writings of the Christian religion, comprising the Old and New Testaments.

2. Hebrew Bible.

3. Often bible the sacred writings of any religion.

4. bible, any book, reference work, periodical, etc., accepted as authoritative, informative, or reliable.

   He regarded that particular bird book as the birdwatchers' bible.

---

Bible British  

/ ˈbaɪbəl /

noun

1. 1. the sacred writings of the Christian religion, comprising the Old and New Testaments and, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Apocrypha

   2. ( as modifier )

      a Bible reading

2. the English name for Tanach

3. (often not capital) any book containing the sacred writings of a religion

4. (usually not capital) a book regarded as authoritative

   the angler's bible

---

Bible ¹ Cultural  

1. The book sacred to Christians (see also Christian), which they consider to be the inspired word of God. The Bible includes the Old Testament, which contains the sacred books of the Jews (see also Jews), and the New Testament, which begins with the birth of Jesus. Thirty-nine books of the Old Testament are accepted as part of the Bible by Christians and Jews alike. Some Christians consider several books of the Old Testament, such as Judith, I and II Maccabees, and Ecclesiasticus, to be part of the Bible also, whereas other Christians, and Jews, call these the Old Testament Apocrypha. Christians are united in their acceptance of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament; Jews do not consider the writings of the New Testament inspired. The Bible is also called “the Book” (bible means “book”).

---

Bible ² Cultural  

1. The book sacred to Christians (see also Christian), containing the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains the writings sacred to the Jews (see also Jews).

---

Discover More

By extension, any book considered an infallible or very reliable guide to some activity may be called a “bible.”

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-Bible
  adjective
• pro-Bible
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Bible

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English bible, bibel, from Old French bible, from Medieval Latin biblia (feminine singular), from Greek, in tà biblía tà hagía (Septuagint) “the holy books,” plural of biblíon, byblíon “papyrus roll, strip of papyrus,” equivalent to býbl(os) “papyrus” (after Býblos, a Phoenician port where papyrus was prepared and exported) + -ion noun suffix

Example Sentences

“The ambition of Gaudí was to write the Bible in stone,” said Gijs van Hensbergen, author of a biography of the Catalan architect.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

His former pastor said McClain had in earlier years devoted hours to his church and organized food and activities for hundreds of children in a vacation-time Bible school.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

This is a Bible story updated for today, when the Bible might as well contain the nuclear launch codes.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

Arias, recitatives and choruses are more like ruminations from the King James Bible, as part of a spiritual journey.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

I had believed the Bible always, but reading it now had nothing to do with belief.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom