Old Testament
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Old Testament
Where it comes from
From Middle English Olde Testament, calqued from Latin Vetus Testāmentum. Old refers to ancientness, not to obsolescence. Equivalent to a retronym, by comparison with the New Testament.
proper noun the Old Testament
-
The first major part of the Christian Bible, covering events before the coming of Christ, corresponding roughly to the Jewish Tanakh. Usually subdivided into the categories of law, history, poetry (or wisdom books), and prophecy.
Holonym: Bible
Similar: Hebrew Bible, Hebrew Scriptures
adjective more Old Testament · most Old Testament
- Reminiscent of the content of the Old Testament, or of the behavior of God in it; especially dramatic, violent or vengeful. Given the Old Testament weather that defines the country, it's little wonder that religious faith became the cornerstone of the land and the people who stayed. I've seen hailstorms and tornadoes roll in over those fields with no more warning than God allowed Job
Translations
Every language
name first half of the Christian Bible
| Español | Antiguo Testamento, veterotestamentario |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 구약 성서 Guyak Seongseo |
| 日本語 | 旧約聖書 Kyūyaku Seisho |
| 中文 | 舊約聖經 /旧约圣经 Jiùyuē Shèngjīng, 舊約全書 /旧约全书 Jiùyuē Quánshū, 舊約 /旧约 Jiùyuē |
| हिन्दी | पुराना नियम purānā niyam |
| Kiswahili | Agano la Kale |
| Português | Antigo Testamento, Velho Testamento |
| Français | Ancien Testament |
| Deutsch | Altes Testament |
| Italiano | Antico Testamento |
| Ελληνικά | Παλαιά Διαθήκη Palaiá Diathíki |
| Română | Vechiul Testament |
| Русский | Ве́тхий Заве́т Vétxij Zavét |
| Tiếng Việt | Cựu Ước |
| العربية | اَلْعَهْد اَلْقَدِيم al-ʕahd al-qadīm |
Talk about this word "Old Testament." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/old%20testament. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Old Testament. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/old%20testament "Old Testament." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/old%20testament.Cite this
@misc{old_testament_2026,
title = {Old Testament},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/old%20testament},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
