Hillel

American

[hil-el, -eyl, -uhl, hi-leyl, hee-lel] / ˈhɪl ɛl, -eɪl, -əl, hɪˈleɪl, hiˈlɛl /

noun

ha-Zaken, c60 b.c.–a.d. 9?, Palestinian rabbi, president of the Sanhedrin and interpreter of Biblical law: first to formulate definitive hermeneutic principles.

Hillel British

/ ˈhɪlɛl, -ləl /

noun

?60 _bc –?9 _ad , rabbi, born in Babylonia; president of the Sanhedrin. He was the first to formulate principles of biblical interpretation

"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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He was also a rambling eccentric whose personal pantheon included Jesus, Hillel, Muhammad, Karl Marx and Carl Sagan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

In the hills above Beit Hillel, military vehicles rumbled along the winding roads heading towards the border.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Gore said attending Birthright initially seemed like a “natural extension” of her upbringing, which had involved Jewish sleepaway camp, Hebrew school, and college Hillel.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2024

Many of the wounded have been evacuated to Hillel Yaffe Medical Centre in nearby Hadera - with others being taken to hospitals in Tel Hashomer, Haifa, Afula and Netanya.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2024

Clara watched as Columbia Hillel shook his head, dazed by the interruption.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023