Old Testament

noun

: the first part of the Christian Bible containing the books of the Jewish canon of Scripture see Bible Table

Examples of Old Testament in a Sentence

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It is called the Daniel fast, named for the Prophet Daniel of the Bible’s Old Testament. — Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025 Brown was unswayed by Garrison’s calls for nonviolence, using Old Testament passages to invoke notions of vengeance and divine wrath. — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2025 Gileadean justice — forgive the oxymoron — operates on an Old Testament commitment to retributivism. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 20 May 2026 The White House and the Pentagon have used Old Testament verses to frame political or military objectives as holy missions. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Old Testament

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Old Testament was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Old Swedish
Old Testament
old-time
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Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

Old Testament

noun
: the first of the two chief divisions of the Christian Bible see bible

More from Merriam-Webster on Old Testament

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Old Testament

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