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Barabbas

American  
[buh-rab-uhs] / bəˈræb əs /

noun

  1. (in the Bible) a condemned criminal pardoned by Pilate in order to appease the mob, which demanded that he be freed instead of Jesus.


Barabbas British  
/ bəˈræbəs /

noun

  1. New Testament a condemned robber who was released at the Passover instead of Jesus (Matthew 27:16)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The "family friendly" show had been described as "a darkly imaginative, richly rendered fantasy story", and had been written by playwright Zinnie Harris with music by Louis Barabbas.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2025

“A Hum San Sui,” by Kentaro Kujirai and Barabbas Okuyama, the Japanese choreographers and performers, seemed ill-served by film.

From New York Times • Jan. 16, 2022

But producers also continued casting Borgnine in action films such as "Three Bad Men," "The Vikings," "Torpedo Run," "Barabbas," "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Wild Bunch."

From Seattle Times • Jul. 8, 2012

On my visit, red-nosed actors from local theatre company Barabbas were rehearsing for their show City of Clowns.

From The Guardian • Nov. 22, 2010

Genevieve saw the emissaries of the pharisees run from group to group, saying: 'Demand the release of Barabbas, let them give up Barabbas.'

From The Silver Cross or The Carpenter of Nazareth by Sue, Eugène