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Glite Dictionary
bas mitzvah

bas mitzvah

9.2
A Jewish ceremony that marks a girl's 12th birthday and her new religious duties as an adult
  • noun
  • /bɑs ˈmɪtsvɑ/
  • UK
translation icon : bas mitzvah
  • Sarah celebrated her bas mitzvah with a big party.

Examples

  • Her family was proud to celebrate her bas mitzvah at the synagogue.

  • The rabbi spoke to the congregation during the bas mitzvah ceremony.

  • Invitations were sent out for Emma’s bas mitzvah next month.

  • Did you attend Rachel's bas mitzvah last weekend?

  • At her big celebration, she wore a beautiful dress for her bas mitzvah, which marked her 12th birthday.

  • The rabbi explained the significance of the bas mitzvah during the ceremony, highlighting her new religious responsibilities.

  • Friends and family gathered to celebrate her bas mitzvah, a special day that acknowledged her coming of age in the Jewish faith.

Synonyms

bat mitzvah
vsbas mitzvah
7 7.6

A Jewish ceremony for a girl at about 12 that marks becoming an adult in the faith

is the alternative spelling used in some communities for the same ceremony

Surface Forms

bas mitzvah singular
bas mitzvahs plural

Morphology

bas + mitzvah

The parts 'bas' (daughter) and 'mitzvah' (commandment/good deed) transparently point toward a daughter’s relation to religious obligations, so a learner who knows both words could infer this is about a girl and religious responsibility. However, the specific sense — a coming-of-age ceremony around the 12th birthday — is culturally specific and not fully predictable from the constituents alone (and 'bas' is not a common English dictionary headword), so full understanding requires prior cultural exposure.

Etymology

Bas mitzvah comes from Hebrew: the word bas means 'daughter' and mitzvah means 'commandment' or 'religious duty'. So bas mitzvah is the ceremony that shows a girl is now responsible for her religious duties.