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

There were rabbis, imams, bishops and deacons from across the city, reflecting the diversity of the victims and New Orleans. —Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025

Graham is arguably a direct predecessor of Adam Brody’s warm, charming rabbi in Nobody Wants This. —Kate Lloyd, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024

Police arrested three Uzbek nationals for the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, officials from the United Arab Emirates said on Monday according to reports in the Israeli media. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024

The rabbi, a dual citizen of Israel and Moldova, worked in the Emirates as part of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a Hasidic branch of Orthodox Judaism that conducts Jewish outreach around the world. —Ismaeel Naar, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024

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"