mitzvah
Americannoun
plural
mitzvoth, mitzvot, mitzvos,plural
mitzvahs-
any of the collection of 613 commandments or precepts in the Bible and additional ones of rabbinic origin that relate chiefly to the religious and moral conduct of Jews.
-
any good or praiseworthy deed.
noun
-
a commandment or precept, esp one found in the Bible
-
a good deed
Etymology
Origin of mitzvah
First recorded in 1720–30; from Hebrew miṣwāh “command, commandment”
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.
His best-known innovation—his introduction, in 1922, of the modern bat mitzvah, to mark the 12th birthdays of Jewish girls—is now standard practice in all but Orthodox synagogues.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
But this is optional, not obligatory — especially if your daughter has said that she is happy with the current plans for her bat mitzvah.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 26, 2025
My brother had his bar mitzvah at the mountaintop fortress of Masada overlooking the Dead Sea.
From Salon • Nov. 30, 2025
If it’s your niece’s bat mitzvah, it’s suddenly like: Are you supposed to give $18,000 instead of $360?
From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025
“I don’t want to change everything. I just want to try this and see how it feels. I’m thirteen, which is perfect bar mitzvah timing.”
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
