kabbalah
Americannoun
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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.
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any occult or secret doctrine or science.
noun
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an ancient Jewish mystical tradition based on an esoteric interpretation of the Old Testament
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any secret or occult doctrine or science
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of kabbalah
First recorded in 1515–25; from Medieval Latin cabbala, from Hebrew qabbālāh “tradition,” literally, “something received,” i.e., “handed down”; see also cabal ( def. )
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.
The practice is so mainstream that millions of Argentines likely practice some sort of cábala, a word that derives from kabbalah, a Jewish mystical tradition.
From New York Times ● Dec. 17, 2022
These range from the kabbalah to perhaps his favored poet, Paul Celan.
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2022
And so we have handbooks on “how to connect with your animal spirit guide” alongside manuals for using kabbalah to “make your dreams come true” and I Ching for “business strategizing.”
From New York Times ● Aug. 17, 2021
That was where he read — about Freemasonry and kabbalah, about ancient history, anthropology and archaeology.
From New York Times ● Dec. 26, 2010
The kabbalah was much more than number crunching; it was a tradition so mystical that some scholars say that it bears a striking resemblance to Hinduism.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
