Standard Lemma guide

mitzvah

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmɪts.və/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M IH1 T S V AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of the 613 commandments of Jewish law.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Judaism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An act of kindness, a good deed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Judaism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A Jewish celebration, but particularly a clipping of bar mitzvah and/or bat mitzvah.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: metonymically

Qualifier: event planning industry; usually only with the plural mitzvahs; event planning industry; usually only with the plural mitzvahs

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

(Judaism) a good deed performed out of religious duty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mitsvah

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: act, deed, human action, human activity

5

noun

Meaning 5

(Judaism) a precept or commandment of the Jewish law

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mitsvah

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: teaching, precept, commandment

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew מצווה (mitsvá, “a commandment”).

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: mitsvà — any of the 613 commandments of Jewish law
  • Esperanto: micvo — any of the 613 commandments of Jewish law
  • French: mitzvah — any of the 613 commandments of Jewish law
  • German: Mitzwa — any of the 613 commandments of Jewish law
  • Polish: micwa — any of the 613 commandments of Jewish law
  • French: mitzvah — an act of kindness
  • German: Mitzwa — an act of kindness
  • Polish: micwa — an act of kindness
  • Turkish: sevap — an act of kindness
Real reading context

mitzvah in complete knowledge articles