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rabbi

1 American  
[rab-ahy] / ˈræb aɪ /

noun

plural

rabbis

  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.

rabbi 2 American  
[rab-ee] / ˈræb i /

noun

Ecclesiastical.

  1. rabat.

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

"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
rabbi Cultural  

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

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

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 perceived similarity to Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This,” a rom-com pairing a rabbi with an agnostic podcaster, is probably intentional.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

He arrived in the U.S. at age 8 with his mother, rejoining his Orthodox rabbi father, who had fled Eastern Europe the year before.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

"We would much rather put the money towards educating our kids or back into the community," said Jennifer Kaluzny, a rabbi at Temple Israel.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

The rabbi of the Manchester synagogue where worshippers were killed in a knife attack has told of the fear and trauma he still feels.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

I held the wedding ring until the rabbi nodded, and I handed it over.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

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.