rabbi

¹ American  

[rab-ahy] / ˈræb aɪ /

noun

• rabbis
  plural

1. the chief religious official of a synagogue, trained usually in a theological seminary and duly ordained, who delivers the sermon at a religious service and performs ritualistic, pastoral, educational, and other functions in and related to the role of a spiritual leader of Judaism and the Jewish community.

2. a title of respect for a Jewish scholar or teacher.

3. a Jewish scholar qualified to rule on questions of Jewish law.

4. any of the Jewish scholars of the 1st to 6th centuries a.d. who contributed to the writing, editing, or compiling of the Talmud.

5. Slang. a personal patron or adviser, as in business.

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rabbi ² American  

[rab-ee] / ˈræb i /

noun

Ecclesiastical.

1. rabat.

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rabbi British  

/ ˈræbaɪ /

noun

1. (in Orthodox Judaism) a man qualified in accordance with traditional religious law to expound, teach, and rule in accordance with this law

2. the religious leader of a congregation; the minister of a synagogue

3. the early Jewish scholars whose teachings are recorded in the Talmud

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rabbi Cultural  

1. In Judaism, a teacher and leader of worship, usually associated with a synagogue.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rabbis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rabbi¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English rabi (from Old French rab(b)i) from Late Latin rabbī, from Greek rhabbí, from Hebrew rabbī “my master” (rabh “master” + -ī “my”)

Origin of rabbi²

By alteration

Explanation

If being a rabbi was just a matter of long beards and black suits, then ZZ Top could have opened up a yeshiva. A rabbi is a Jewish spiritual leader who is a scholar of Torah laws and customs. The word rabbi comes from the Hebrew raba, meaning "great" or "revered," as seen in the Hebrew expressions saba raba (great grandfather) or hatzlacha raba (a blessing for much success). Rabbis might serve one or more of a number of roles within a Jewish community, including motivational speakers, Torah legal authorities, teachers, mentors, therapists, or as mohels who can perform ritual circumcisions.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rabbi rabbis

Religious leaders present in Blue Ash on Sunday also included women serving as a Jewish rabbi, a Baptist minister and a Muslim chaplain.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

Others begin awkwardly and end well: Mr. David playing an Orthodox rabbi elected to the 1903 Detroit city council who, after one of America’s first auto accidents, becomes a blood donor to Henry Ford.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Getzy Markowitz, a rabbi who works in the area, said the shooting took place in a community with multiple Jewish institutions, including educational centers and a food bank.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

Earlier this year, Lion moved into an adjacent home, and the rabbi said that tensions began to rise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

“At the home of the rabbi, Jesus took the girl’s hand and said, ‘Get up.’”

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

May 20, 2026A previous version of this story stated the homes of two Kehillat Israel rabbis had burned in the fire.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026

But the great, and sociologically accurate, joke about bar mitzvahs among the Jewish has three rabbis at lunch each discussing his problem with mice in his synagogue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

But the recent surge has prompted criticism from influential rabbis, settler leaders and even military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who described the attacks as "morally and ethically unacceptable".

From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026

Of Chicago rabbi Abraham Heschel, bringing 15 other white rabbis down to Selma, Ala., in 1964 at the request of King, where their arrest made headlines — which translated to political pressure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026

Occasionally he spoke of the importance of Palestine as a Jewish homeland, but mostly he was concerned about American Jewry and the need for teachers and rabbis.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Related Words

• priest
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