mitzvah

American  

[meets-vah, mits-, mits-vuh] / mitsˈvɑ, mɪts-, ˈmɪts və /

Or mitsvah

noun

Hebrew.

plural

mitzvoth, mitzvot, mitzvos,

plural

mitzvahs

1. 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.

2. any good or praiseworthy deed.

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mitzvah British  

/ ˈmɪtsvə, mitsˈvɑ /

noun

1. a commandment or precept, esp one found in the Bible

2. a good deed

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Etymology

Origin of mitzvah

First recorded in 1720–30; from Hebrew miṣwāh “command, commandment”

Example Sentences

There are scenes of Jewish holidays, birthdays, a bat mitzvah, a student recital and a medical scare.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I tried to do video interviews with the residents. I thought it would make a good bat mitzvah project.”

From Literature

“Yes, we do belong here,” says Jacob, who knows almost as much as Isaac, just having celebrated his bar mitzvah.

From Literature

My kid has her bat mitzvah in February.

From MarketWatch

This was the year of bar and bat mitzvahs—my own, but also those of friends, relatives, Hebrew-school classmates and, it sometimes seemed, any passing acquaintance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• edict
• precept