rabbinic
|rab-bin-ic|
/rəˈbɪnɪk/
of or relating to rabbis/Talmudic tradition
Etymology
'rabbinic' originates from English 'rabbi' (from Hebrew 'rabbi', “my master/teacher”) combined with the adjectival suffix '-ic' (from Greek '-ikos' via Latin '-icus'), meaning “relating to.”
'rabbi' entered English via Late Latin 'rabbi' and Greek 'rhabbi' from Hebrew/Aramaic; the adjective developed as 'rabbinical'/'rabbinic' in Early Modern English under the influence of Late Latin 'rabbinicus', yielding modern English 'rabbinic'.
Initially, it meant “of or pertaining to rabbis,” and it has retained this sense, commonly extending to the corpus and tradition of Rabbinic Judaism.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to a rabbi or to rabbis; connected with rabbinic scholarship or authority.
She specializes in rabbinic law and ethics.
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Adjective 2
pertaining to the teachings, literature, or traditions of Rabbinic Judaism, especially of the Talmudic period.
The archive preserves rare rabbinic commentaries from the medieval period.
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Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/09 10:08