shibboleth
English · Français
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
shibboleth
- /ˈʃɪbəlɛθ/
- /ˈʃɪbələθ/
Rhymes with -ɪbəlɛθ, -ɪbələθ
Where it comes from
Learned borrowing from Biblical Hebrew שִׁבֹּלֶת /שיבולת (šibbṓleṯ, “ear [of wheat] or stream, torrent”). Doublet of sebboleth and Middle English sebolech, both from Late Latin sebboleth in the Vulgate.
noun shibboleths · schiboleth · schibboleth · shiboleth
- A particular pronunciation or custom that is regarded as distinguishing members of a group from non-members, especially when used as a test. In recent times, the correct treatment of initial h in speech has come to be regarded as a kind of shibboleth of social position.
- A common or longstanding belief, custom, or catchphrase associated with a particular group, especially one with little current meaning or truth. It's about time we abandoned the bourgeois shibboleth that earning money makes you a better person.
Translations
Every language
noun a word, pronunciation, or custom, distinguishing members of a group, especially as a test
| Español | santo y seña, contraseña, shíbolez |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 십볼렛 sipbollet |
| 中文 | 示播列 shìbōliè, 特有用語 /特有用语 tèyǒu yòngyǔ |
| Português | xibolete |
| Français | schibboleth, shibboleth |
| Deutsch | Schibboleth, Erkennungszeichen, Unterscheidungszeichen, Chiffre, Kennwort, Schlüsselwort |
| Română | șibolet |
| Русский | шибболе́т šibbolét, та́йный паро́ль tájnyj parólʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | síp-bô-lét |
noun a common or longstanding belief, custom, or catchphrase associated with a particular group, especially one with little current meaning or truth
| Español | doctrina anticuada |
|---|---|
| Français | schibboleth, shibboleth |
| Deutsch | abgedroschene Ansicht, Klischee, veraltete Konvention, Plattitüde, Parole, Schlagwort |
| Русский | шибболе́т šibbolét, клише́ klišé |
Talk about this word "shibboleth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/shibboleth. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. shibboleth. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/shibboleth "shibboleth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/shibboleth.Cite this
@misc{shibboleth_2026,
title = {shibboleth},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/shibboleth},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
