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

Being a rabbi, being a spiritual leader, is always tough. —Brian Bennett, Time, 23 May 2025

While Saul tries to seek out a rabbi who can recite the special prayer for the dead known as Kaddish, his colleagues gear up for the famous 1944 revolt among the Sonderkommando to blow up the gas chambers and crematoria before escaping. —Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

Culturally sensitive clinical care is often misunderstood as simply providing surface-level accommodations — offering kosher meals, observing Sabbath restrictions, or including a rabbi on staff. —Devora Shabtai, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2025

Stanton, a rabbi, is associate vice president for Interfaith and Intergroup Initiatives at the Jewish Federations of North America. —Joshua Stanton, New York Daily News, 12 May 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"