rebbe
noun
a teacher in a Jewish school.
rebbe
American
[reb-uh]
/ ˈrɛb ə /
noun
Yiddish.
-
a teacher in a Jewish school.
-
(often initial capital letter) a title of respect for the leader of a Hasidic group.
Rebbe
British
/ ˈrɛbə /
noun
-
the usually dynastic leader of a Chassidic sect
-
an individual's chosen spiritual mentor
Etymology
Origin of Rebbe
Yiddish, from Hebrew rabbī rabbi
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.
See Examples For:
“My doctoral thesis happens to be on one of the ideational foundations of American society, the rebbe of the Founding Fathers”—John Locke.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
“Reverence for the rebbe along those lines is standard” in any Hasidic community, said Ezra Glinter, who is writing a biography of Schneerson for Yale University Press.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 11, 2024
The Sacred Tribe’s members are happy to have their rebbe, or spiritual leader, back in front of the congregation.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 14, 2022
“Above the synagogue of the Kotzker rebbe: Jews don’t despair.”
From Washington Post ● Nov. 17, 2016
Uncles and cousins came, and perhaps my brother's rebbe, to examine his pupil in the hearing of the family.
From The Promised Land by Mary Antin
"When the Israelites came into their promised land, they didn't just march in and take it," Rebbe Mastriano told the faithful.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2024
They visited the Rebbe, who greeted them warmly.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2022
One particularly exuberant man insisted on giving him a tour of the Mitzvah Tank, a truck used to spread the teachings of their late leader, the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2022
The club’s biggest January moves were above the team, with Olaf Rebbe leaving as director of football and Jan Siewert replacing David Wagner as manager.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 1, 2019
My grandfather came to spend Rosh Hashanah with us so as to attend the services of the celebrated Rebbe of Borsche.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
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.
