cabala

or cab·ba·la, kab·a·la, kab·ba·la, kab·ba·lah

[ kab-uh-luh, kuh-bah- ]

/ ˈkæb ə lə, kəˈbɑ- /

noun

a system of esoteric theosophy and theurgy developed by rabbis, reaching its peak about the 12th and 13th centuries, and influencing certain medieval and Renaissance Christian thinkers. It was based on a mystical method of interpreting Scripture by which initiates claimed to penetrate sacred mysteries. Among its central doctrines are, all creation is an emanation from the Deity and the soul exists from eternity.

any occult or secret doctrine or science.

Nearby words

caaba, cab, cab rank rule, cab-over, cabal, cabala, cabaletta, cabalism, cabalist, cabalistic, caballero

Origin of cabala

1515–25; < Medieval Latin cab(b)ala < Hebrew qabbālāh ‘tradition’, literally, something received, i.e., handed down

Can be confused

cabal cabala

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for kabbalah

Neilson told Newsweek that "the separation is a healthy thing for Raising Malawi and the Kabbalah Centre."
Madonna's Malawi Denial|Wayne Barrett|April 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
That goes a long way toward explaining the appeal of the Church of Scientology and the Kabbalah Centre.
Jim Carrey Almighty|Kim Masters|June 11, 2009|DAILY BEAST
According to the Kabbalah all these esoteric doctrines are contained in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 6|Various
These hermeneutical canons are much older than the Kabbalah.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 6|Various

The Kabbalah is divided into two parts, viz, the symbolical and the real.
Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala|Various
Eating little means sleeping little, and whole nights without sleep or food incline one to the Kabbalah!
Stories and Pictures|Isaac Loeb Peretz
The Kabbalah does not possess that integral connection with Masonry which is argued by Mgr.
Devil-Worship in France|Arthur Edward Waite

British Dictionary definitions for kabbalah (1 of 2)

kabbalah

kabbala, kabala, cabbala, cabala or qabalah

/ (kəˈbɑːlə) /

noun

an ancient Jewish mystical tradition based on an esoteric interpretation of the Old Testament

any secret or occult doctrine or science

Derived Forms

kabbalism, kabalism, cabbalism, cabalism or qabalism (ˈkæbəˌlɪzəm), nounkabbalist, kabalist, cabbalist, cabalist or qabalist, nounkabbalistic, kabalistic, cabbalistic, cabalistic or qabalistic, adjective

Word Origin for kabbalah

C16: from Medieval Latin, from Hebrew qabbālāh tradition, what is received, from qābal to receive

British Dictionary definitions for kabbalah (2 of 2)

cabala

/ (kəˈbɑːlə) /

noun

a variant spelling of kabbalah

Derived Forms

cabalism (ˈkæbəˌlɪzəm), nouncabalist, nouncabalistic, adjective

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