negiah

N1E1G2I1A1H4

noun

Physical contact between the sexes outside of marriage or familial relations.

OriginHebrew נְגִיעָה →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

nounnegiah (uncountable)

alternative negia · alternative negiyah

  1. JewishuncountablelawPhysical contact between the sexes outside of marriage or familial relations.
  2. JewishuncountablelawThe prohibition against this.

    If I see a young man and woman out on a date in the US, would I not assume that even if they were makpid on kashrut, they might not be as makpid on negia? Or even on pre-marital sex? After all, that is exceedingly common in the US today, and it's even made inroads among ostensibly Orthodox Jews.

    2006 June 9, Lisa, “LESBIAN & GAY SHABBAT DINNER - 5 JUNE -- RODEPH SHOLOM (NYC)”, in soc.culture.jewish.moderated (Usenet)

Origin

  1. Hebrewנְגִיעָה“touch”
  2. Englishnegiah

Borrowed from Hebrew נְגִיעָה (“touch”).

More words from Hebrew

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

GienahHainge
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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