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

Our mascot will be a rabbi, clad in a black hat and a long coat. —Jonathan Zimmerman, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025

My father, David Freedman, a rabbi in Hollywood, has a collection of religious and historical texts that should perhaps be placed in a religious setting or educational library. —Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 28 Jan. 2025

After continuing to insist on speaking with a rabbi, Garland cooperated and the security guard escorted him off the premises, police said. —Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025

While serving in the U.S. Navy after the Korean War, Erwin Glaser, while aboard a ship, met a rabbi who introduced him to the Jewish literature of Eastern Europe. —Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 22 Jan. 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

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"