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

It’s been anything but in this “melting pot where nothing melted,” to quote the rabbi whose eulogy sets Kushner’s “Angels in America” in motion.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 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

The rabbi for the modern-day yeshiva declined to comment to the BBC.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

The young rabbi was sitting on the bench, watching Danny Saunders intently.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Related Words

• priest
• teacher