kenesa

K5E1N1E1S1A1

noun

An Eastern European or Persian Karaite synagogue.

Originkdr כְּנִיסָא ← Aramaic כְּנִישָׁא ← Arabic كَنِيسَة →
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Meanings

nounkenesa (plural kenesas)

plural kenesas

  1. An Eastern European or Persian Karaite synagogue.

Origin

  1. Arabicكَنِيسَة“church, synagogue”
  2. Aramaicכְּנִישָׁא“gathering”
  3. kdrכְּנִיסָא
  4. Englishkenesa

Borrowed from Karaim כְּנִיסָא (kǝnîsāʾ), from Aramaic כְּנִישָׁא (kənīšā, “gathering”), likely via Arabic كَنِيسَة (kanīsa, “church, synagogue”).

More words from kdr, Aramaic, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German Kenessa
  • KenessaKaraite house of prayer
Lithuanian kenesà, kinèsė
  • kenesàKaraite house of prayer
  • kinèsėKaraite house of prayer
Polish kenesa, kienesa
  • kenesaKaraite house of prayer
  • kienesaKaraite house of prayer
Russian кена́сса
  • кена́сса (kenássa)Karaite house of prayer
Ukrainian кена́са
  • кена́са (kenása)Karaite house of prayer

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Skeenasakeen
Cite this entry
APA

kenesa. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kenesa

MLA

“kenesa.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kenesa. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kenesa,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kenesa.

Source: kenesa on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.