Yom Kippur

noun

Yom Kip·​pur ˌyōm-ki-ˈpu̇r How to pronounce Yom Kippur (audio)
ˌyȯm-,
ˌyäm- How to pronounce Yom Kippur (audio)
-ˈki-pər,
-(ˌ)pu̇r
: a Jewish holiday observed with fasting and prayer on the 10th day of Tishri in accordance with the rites described in Leviticus 16

called also Day of Atonement

Examples of Yom Kippur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Friday night, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year, a Hezbollah drone struck a building in Herzliya, in central Israel, but air raid sirens had alerted people to seek shelter and there were no injuries. Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2024 Canada's Global News reported a Jewish school for girls was shot at for a second time in a year on the eve of Yom Kippur on Friday in Toronto. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 16 Oct. 2024 On Saturday, during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, one hit a suburb of Tel Aviv, causing damage but no injuries. Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024 The incident occurred around 4 a.m. Saturday at the Bais Chaya Mushka Girls Elementary School on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement and the holiest day of the year in Judaism, Toronto Police Service Inspector Paul Krawczyk said at a news conference. Emma Tucker, CNN, 12 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Yom Kippur 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Yom Kippur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Hebrew yōm kippūr, literally, day of atonement

First Known Use

1735, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Yom Kippur was in 1735

Dictionary Entries Near Yom Kippur

Cite this Entry

“Yom Kippur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Yom%20Kippur. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

Yom Kippur

noun
Yom Kip·​pur ˌyōm-ki-ˈpu̇r How to pronounce Yom Kippur (audio) ˌyȯm- How to pronounce Yom Kippur (audio)
ˌyäm-,
-ˈkip-ər
: a Jewish holiday observed in September or October with fasting and prayer as ways of making up for sins

More from Merriam-Webster on Yom Kippur

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