bat mitzvah

1 of 2

noun

bat mitz·​vah bät-ˈmits-və How to pronounce bat mitzvah (audio)
variants or less commonly bas mitzvah
often capitalized B&M
1
: a Jewish girl who at 12 or more years of age assumes religious responsibilities
2
: the initiatory ceremony recognizing a girl as a bat mitzvah

bat mitzvah

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly bas mitzvah
bat mitzvahed also bas mitzvahed; bat mitzvahing also bas mitzvahing

transitive verb

: to administer the ceremony of bat mitzvah to

Examples of bat mitzvah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Stacy's a 13-year-old girl who's doing everything in her power to make her bat mitzvah as epic as possible. Calie Schepp, EW.com, 25 Aug. 2023 That’s when his grade-school music teacher re-enters his life as an adult bat mitzvah student, prompting the pair to form an unusual connection. Brent Lang, Variety, 9 Feb. 2024 The film sees Jason Schwartzman play Ben Gottlieb, a cantor in crisis after losing his voice and who falls for Carla Kessler, an adult bat mitzvah student (Carol Kane). Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Feb. 2024 Adapted from Fiona Rosenbloom's 2005 coming-of-age novel of the same name, Bat Mitzvah stars the comedian's daughter Sunny Sandler as Stacy, a young girl who, along with her best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine), has long dreamt of throwing the most epic bat mitzvah. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2023 Directed by Nathan Silver, who co-wrote the screenplay with C. Mason Wells, the story follows a cantor at a suburban synagogue (Jason Schwartzman) who, while still in emotional freefall following the death of his wife, impulsively takes on a grown woman (Carol Kane) as a bat mitzvah student. Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Students recently baked her granddaughter's gluten-free almond berry bat mitzvah cake. Wendy Grossman Kantor, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023 The new Netflix comedy, You’re So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah, tells the hilarious story of two friends with big bat mitzvah plans. Korin Miller, Women's Health, 28 Aug. 2023 More recently, in June 2023, Arabella celebrated her bat mitzvah, a Jewish coming-of-age ritual. Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023
Verb
Our granddaughter is having her bat mitzvah next month, in North Carolina. Amy Dickinson, oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2020 For Sunny's bat mitzvah in May 2022, Adam again turned to his celebrity friends to make the party extra special. Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 1 Dec. 2022 Peerspace gets you a stranger’s backyard, barn or basketball court for a bridal shower, birthday party or bat mitzvah. Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2022 Sundheim taught at the synagogue’s preschool and coordinated events including bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies. Grant Schulte, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2022 Students at the college are involved in the greater Cincinnati community – and other Midwest communities, too – as leaders in local synagogues, nonprofits, camps, schools and are bar and bat mitzvah tutors. Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 7 Apr. 2022 The lineup includes veterans like John Mayer and newcomers like Charlie Puth (who was a surprise guest at a teenager’s bat mitzvah in Boston). David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2022 Orthodox women continue to push boundaries around bat mitzvah. Lisa Fishbayn Joffe, The Conversation, 15 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bat mitzvah.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Hebrew bath mişwāh, literally, daughter of the (divine) law

First Known Use

Noun

1910, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bat mitzvah was in 1910

Dictionary Entries Near bat mitzvah

Cite this Entry

“Bat mitzvah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bat%20mitzvah. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bat mitzvah

1 of 2 noun
bat mitz·​vah bät-ˈmits-və How to pronounce bat mitzvah (audio)
variants also bas mitzvah
often capitalized B&M
1
: a Jewish girl who at about 12 years of age takes on religious responsibilities
2
: the ceremony recognizing a girl as a bat mitzvah

bat mitzvah

2 of 2 verb
variants also bas mitzvah
bat mitzvahed also bas mitzvahed; bat mitzvahing also bas mitzvahing
: to administer the ceremony of bat mitzvah to
Etymology

Noun

from Hebrew bath miṣwāh, literally, "daughter of the (divine) law"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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