rabbi

noun

rab·​bi ˈra-ˌbī 

1

: master, teacher

—used by Jews as a term of address

2

: a Jew qualified to expound and apply the halacha and other Jewish law

3

: a Jew trained and ordained for professional religious leadership

specifically : the official leader of a Jewish congregation

Examples of rabbi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Two dozen or so men’s orders studied there, as well as women and laypeople, and the school had female professors and a rabbi on staff. —Belinda Luscombe, Time, 1 July 2025

Feuerstein plays Moses Zaltzman, a beloved Hasidic rabbi serving the small Jewish population of a desert town. —Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025

For a number of years, my grandfather, the son of a Conservative rabbi, lived on an inter-faith commune in New Mexico. —Literary Hub, 12 June 2025

This complicates things for Noah, who is then forced to choose between the relationship and a position as head rabbi at Temple Chai. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek rhabbi, from Hebrew rabbī my master, from rabh master + -ī my

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rabbi

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• decry
• defy
• deny

Kids Definition

rabbi

noun

rab·​bi ˈrab-ˌī 

1

: master entry 1 sense 1a, teacher

—used as a term of address for Jewish religious leaders

2

: a professionally trained leader of a Jewish congregation

rabbinic

rə-ˈbin-ik

ra-

adjective

or rabbinical

-i-kəl

Etymology

Old English rabbi "term of address used for Jewish religious leaders," from Latin rabbi (same meaning), from Greek rhabbi (same meaning), from Hebrew rabbī "my master," from rabh "master" and the suffix -ī "my"