: a communal farm or settlement in Israel

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A kibbutz is a communal settlement in Israel in which all wealth is held in common and profits are reinvested in the settlement. The first kibbutz was founded in 1909; currently there are about 270, with a total population exceeding 120,000. Adults live in private quarters, while children are generally housed and cared for as a group. Meals are prepared and eaten communally. Members have regular meetings to discuss business and to take votes on matters requiring decisions. Jobs may be assigned by rotation, by choice, or by skill.

Examples of kibbutz in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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On the day of Hamas’ attack, cell phone location data placed him at the scene of a kibbutz just outside the Gaza Strip where dozens of people were killed and 19 people captured. Michael Loria, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025 Caesarstone, a company founded on a kibbutz in the late 1980s, helped popularize quartz countertops globally. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026 Around 500 Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz, killing 47 people and taking 76 hostages out of the 251 abducted across Israel that day. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025 That leaves only the remains of Israeli Ran Gvili, a police officer killed protecting residents of a kibbutz from Hamas militants, left in the territory. Jared Gans, The Hill, 5 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kibbutz

Word History

Etymology

Modern Hebrew qibbūṣ

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kibbutz was in 1926

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Cite this Entry

“Kibbutz.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kibbutz. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

: a farming settlement in Israel that is owned and shared equally by the people who live there and run it

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