Yom Kippur

UK/ˌjɒm kɪˈpʊə/UK/ˌjɒm ˈkɪpə/UK/ˌjəʊm kɪˈpʊə/UK/ˌjəʊm ˈkɪpə/

proper noun

A particular Jewish holiday, the day of atonement, falling on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.

Similar
Day of AtonementDay of Judgment
OriginHebrew יוֹם כִּיפּוּר →
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. JudaismA particular Jewish holiday, the day of atonement, falling on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.

    Services during Yom Kippur are held continuously through the day and include readings from the Torah and the reciting of prayers expressing regret or asking for forgiveness.

    2019 October 8, Christina Maxouris and Doug Criss, “Everything you wanted to know about Yom Kippur”, in CNN, archived from the original on 14 Dec 2019
    1 more example

    Waving chickens above their heads, ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel performed the ritual of "kaparot" ahead of Yom Kippur, the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar, which begins at sundown on Tuesday.

    2018 September 18, “Ahead of Yom Kippur, ultra-Orthodox Jews cast out sins with chickens and water”, in Reuters

    Synonyms: Day of Atonement, Day of Judgment

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA particular Jewish holiday, the day of atonement, falling on the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.

Similar
Day of AtonementDay of Judgment

More synonyms by meaning

noun(Judaism) a solemn and major fast day on the Jewish calendar; 10th of Tishri; its observance is one of the requirements of the Mosaic law

Similar
Day of Atonement
Broader
High Holy DayHigh Holidaymajor fast day
Also see
day of atonementday of judgment

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Hebrewיוֹם כִּיפּוּר
  2. EnglishYom Kippur

Borrowed from Hebrew יוֹם כִּיפּוּר (yom kipúr, literally “Day of Atonement”).

More words from Hebrew

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek Ἰὼμ Χῑπφούρ
  • Ἰὼμ Χῑπφούρ (Iṑm Khīpphoúr)Day of Atonement
Arabic يَوْم الْكَفَّارَة, يَوْم الْغُفْرَان
  • يَوْم الْكَفَّارَة (yawm al-kaffāra)Day of Atonement
  • يَوْم الْغُفْرَان (yawm al-ḡufrān)Day of Atonement
  • يَوْم كِيفُور (yawm kīfūr)Day of Atonement
Chinese Mandarin 贖罪日 /赎罪日
  • 贖罪日 /赎罪日 (Shúzuìrì)Day of Atonement
Czech Jom kipur
  • Jom kipurDay of Atonement
Finnish Jom Kippur
  • Jom KippurDay of Atonement
French Yom Kippour
  • Yom KippourDay of Atonement
German Jom Kippur
  • Jom KippurDay of Atonement
Greek Γιομ Κιπούρ
  • Γιομ Κιπούρ (Giom Kipoúr)Day of Atonement
Hebrew יוֹם כִּפּוּר
  • יוֹם כִּפּוּר (yom kippúr)Day of Atonement
Italian Yom Kippur
  • Yom KippurDay of Atonement
Latin Festum Expiationis, Iōm Chīpphūr
  • Festum ExpiationisDay of Atonement
  • Iōm ChīpphūrDay of Atonement
Persian یوم کفاره, روز آمرزش
  • یوم کفاره (yowm-e kaffâre)Day of Atonement
  • روز آمرزش (ruz-e âmorzeš)Day of Atonement
  • یومکیپور (yowm-kipur)Day of Atonement
Polish Jom Kippur, Sądny Dzień
  • Jom KippurDay of Atonement
  • Sądny DzieńDay of Atonement
  • Dzień PojednaniaDay of Atonement
  • Dzień PrzebłaganiaDay of Atonement
Russian Йом-кипу́р
  • Йом-кипу́р (Jom-kipúr)Day of Atonement
Spanish Yom Kipur, el Día del Perdón
  • Yom KipurDay of Atonement
  • el Día del PerdónDay of Atonement
Swedish jom kippur
  • jom kippurDay of Atonement
Ukrainian Йом-Кіпу́р
  • Йом-Кіпу́р (Jom-Kipúr)Day of Atonement
Yiddish יום־כּיפּור
  • יום־כּיפּור (yonkiper)Day of Atonement
Cite this entry
APA

Yom Kippur. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Yom%20Kippur

MLA

“Yom Kippur.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Yom%20Kippur. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Yom Kippur,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Yom%20Kippur.

Source: Yom Kippur on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.