Sabbath

American  

[sab-uhth] / ˈsæb əθ /

noun

1. the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as the day of rest and religious observance among Jews and some Christians.

2. the Sabbath, the first day of the week, Sunday, observed by most Christians as a day of public worship and often of rest.

3. any special day of prayer, worship, or rest.

4. Often sabbath a day or other period of rest or break from certain forms of activity.

   If people gave themselves a weekly sabbath from electronic devices, it would probably cure many ills.

5. Sometimes sabbath Sabbat.

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Sabbath British  

/ ˈsæbəθ /

noun

1. the seventh day of the week, Saturday, devoted to worship and rest from work in Judaism and in certain Christian Churches

2. Sunday, observed by Christians as the day of worship and rest from work in commemoration of Christ's Resurrection

3. (not capital) a period of rest

4. Also called: sabbat.   witches' Sabbath.  a midnight meeting or secret rendezvous for practitioners of witchcraft, sorcery, or devil worship

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Sabbath Cultural  

1. The holy day of rest and reflection observed each Saturday among the Jews. This custom fulfills the fourth of the Ten Commandments (“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”). The Sabbath commemorates the last of the seven days of Creation as described in the Book of Genesis, the day God rested from his labors of creating the heavens and the Earth.

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Discover More

Christians have traditionally kept Sunday as a weekly day of rest in adaptation of the Jewish observance, and in commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Some denominations, such as the Seventh-Day Adventists, observe Saturday as the Sabbath.

Other Word Forms

• Sabbathless adjective
• Sabbathlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of Sabbath

First recorded before 900; Middle English sabat, sabadt, sabath, Old English sabat, from Latin sabbatum, from Greek sábbaton, from Hebrew shabbāth “rest”

Example Sentences

Some of Debbie Israel’s fondest memories as a young girl are the times she spent with her father at synagogue praying on the Sabbath.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

The family observes the Sabbath and kosher dietary restrictions as best they can and attends weekly services.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

There’s fighting and running and shooting, with the Damned and Black Sabbath on the soundtrack and, of course, oodles of deduction, from Sherlock and James alike.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

The Black Sabbath frontman died just over two weeks after the heavy metal band's Back to the Beginning farewell show, which took place at Villa Park, close to where he was born.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

“We must spend the Sabbath in prayer that God will grant us patience.”

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

Related Words

• day off
• rest day