bat mitzvah

1 of 2

noun

bat mitz·​vah bät-ˈmits-və How to pronounce bat mitzvah (audio)
variants or less commonly bas mitzvah , often Bat Mitzvah
1
: a Jewish girl who at 12 or more years of age assumes religious responsibilities
2
: the initiatory ceremony recognizing a girl as a bat mitzvah

bat mitzvah

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly bas mitzvah
bat mitzvahed also bas mitzvahed; bat mitzvahing also bas mitzvahing

transitive verb

: to administer the ceremony of bat mitzvah to

Examples of bat mitzvah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In a full circle moment–of the very fabulous variety–the kid who emceed bat mitzvahs grew up to creative direct the Vanity Fair Oscars party twice, most recently in 2025, entrusted to stage one of the world’s most glamorous events. Rebecca Suhrawardi, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026 The twins wanted to give back to the hospital and community that helped them at that time, deciding to dedicate their bar and bat mitzvah gifts to the program. Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 26 May 2026
Verb
Meanwhile, glamorous and theatrical bat mitzvahs and quinceañeras occur all year long. Essence, 11 May 2026 For Sunny's bat mitzvah in May 2022, Adam again turned to his celebrity friends to make the party extra special. Stephanie Kaloi, Peoplemag, 1 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for bat mitzvah

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Hebrew bath mişwāh, literally, daughter of the (divine) law

First Known Use

Noun

1910, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bat mitzvah was in 1910

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bat mitzvah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bat%20mitzvah. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

bat mitzvah

1 of 2 noun
bat mitz·​vah bät-ˈmits-və How to pronounce bat mitzvah (audio)
variants also bas mitzvah
often capitalized B&M
1
: a Jewish girl who at about 12 years of age takes on religious responsibilities
2
: the ceremony recognizing a girl as a bat mitzvah

bat mitzvah

2 of 2 verb
variants also bas mitzvah
bat mitzvahed also bas mitzvahed; bat mitzvahing also bas mitzvahing
: to administer the ceremony of bat mitzvah to
Etymology

Noun

from Hebrew bath miṣwāh, literally, "daughter of the (divine) law"

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster