Judith

American  

[joo-dith] / ˈdʒu dɪθ /

noun

1. a devoutly religious woman of the ancient Jews who saved her town from conquest by entering the camp of the besieging Assyrian army and cutting off the head of its commander, Holofernes, while he slept.

2. a book of the Apocrypha and Douay Bible bearing her name. Jud.

3. a river in central Montana, flowing north from the Little Belt Mountains to the Missouri River. 124 miles (200 km) long.

4. a female given name.

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Judith British  

/ ˈdʒuːdɪθ /

noun

1. the heroine of one of the books of the Apocrypha, who saved her native town by decapitating Holofernes

2. the book recounting this episode

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Etymology

Origin of Judith

From Late Latin Iudith, from Greek Ioudíth, from Hebrew yəhūdhīth “Jewish woman”

Example Sentences

After his assessment of his family’s triumphs and missteps, Mr. Lemann’s own commitment to Judaism—reinforced by his second marriage, to the writer Judith Shulevitz—is genuinely moving.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Co-lead author Dr. Judith Findlater from Queen's University Belfast passed away before the study was published.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

In the following weeks, as Covid infection rates soared, Michelle asked Morgan if she could chat to Judith over the garden wall but was told she wasn't well.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

The first extracts of her memoirs, titled "A Hymn to Life" and written with French author Judith Perrignon, were revealed late Tuesday ahead of the publication of the book in 22 languages on February 17.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

“Good day to you, Mistress Wood,” he greeted Judith respectfully.

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