Yom Kippur

American  

[yawm kip-er, yohm, yom, yawm kee-poor, yohm ki-puhr] / jɔm ˈkɪp ər, joʊm, jɒm, ˈjɔm kiˈpur, joʊm ˈkɪ pər /

noun

Judaism.

1. a Jewish high holy day observed on the 10th day of the month of Tishri by abstinence from food and drink and by the daylong recitation of prayers of repentance in the synagogue.

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Yom Kippur British  

/ jɔm kiˈpur, jɒm ˈkɪpə /

noun

1. Also called: Day of Atonement. an annual Jewish holiday celebrated on Tishri 10 as a day of fasting, on which prayers of penitence are recited in the synagogue throughout the day

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Yom Kippur Cultural  

1. In Judaism, the Day of Atonement, the most important religious holiday; a day of fasting to atone for sins. It comes in autumn. (See Rosh Hashanah.)

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Etymology

Origin of Yom Kippur

From Hebrew, equivalent to yōm “day” + kippūr “atonement”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Yom Kippur

I’m referring to the period between the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

The attack happened on Yom Kippur, which falls in September this year.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

The attack happened on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, which falls in September this year.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson backed crucial resupply efforts during the 1973 Yom Kippur war.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

I remember how she used to laugh when she waved chickens over our heads on Yom Kippur.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride