bar mitzvah

1 of 2

noun

bar mitz·vah bär-ˈmits-və

variants often Bar Mitzvah

: a Jewish boy who reaches his 13th birthday and attains the age of religious duty and responsibility

: the initiatory ceremony recognizing a boy as a bar mitzvah

bar mitzvah

2 of 2

verb

bar mitzvahed; bar mitzvahing

transitive verb

: to administer the ceremony of bar mitzvah to

Examples of bar mitzvah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

At the time, no one knew whether Craig would survive much beyond Michael's bar mitzvah let alone his wedding. — Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 18 June 2026 There are exemptions to fasting that apply to children who have not completed their bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah and adults with medical conditions or those who are pregnant. — Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025 The actor, 78, appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and spoke about how his grandson recently had his bar mitzvah. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026 Frenkel first arrived at the synagogue in 1985 at just 23 years old, describing the moment as another rite of passage only a decade after his own bar mitzvah. — Daily News, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for bar mitzvah

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Hebrew bar miṣwāh, literally, son of the (divine) law

First Known Use

Noun

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of bar mitzvah was in 1816

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

Barmecidal

bar mitzvah

barmkin

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bar mitzvah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bar%20mitzvah. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

bar mitzvah

1 of 2 noun

bar mitz·vah bär-ˈmits-və

often capitalized B&M

: a Jewish boy who on his 13th birthday reaches the age of religious duty and responsibility

: the ceremony recognizing a boy as a bar mitzvah

bar mitzvah

2 of 2 verb

bar mitzvahed; bar mitzvahing

: to administer the ceremony of bar mitzvah to

Etymology

Noun

from Hebrew bar miṣwāh, literally, "son of the (divine) law"

bar mitzvah

noun

verb

Examples of bar mitzvah in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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