kibbutz

noun

kib·​butz ki-ˈbu̇ts How to pronounce kibbutz (audio) -ˈbüts How to pronounce kibbutz (audio)
plural kibbutzim ki-ˌbu̇t-ˈsēm How to pronounce kibbutz (audio)
-ˌbüt-
: a communal farm or settlement in Israel

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A kibbutz is a communal settlement in Israel in which all wealth is held in common and profits are reinvested in the settlement. The first kibbutz was founded in 1909; currently there are about 270, with a total population exceeding 120,000. Adults live in private quarters, while children are generally housed and cared for as a group. Meals are prepared and eaten communally. Members have regular meetings to discuss business and to take votes on matters requiring decisions. Jobs may be assigned by rotation, by choice, or by skill.

Examples of kibbutz in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web All five were seized from a safe room at a family member's home in the kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 Without their voices, most of the noise in the kibbutz comes from the steady buzz of drones overhead and the regular thud of artillery from the Gaza Strip, about 3 miles away. Matt Bradley, NBC News, 7 Feb. 2024 Read more Two hostages were murdered after being featured in Hamas video, a kibbutz said. USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 There were also detailed maps of at least one kibbutz with seemingly every building marked. Adam Goldman, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2023 Based on phone intercepts, Israel accused 12 U.N. employees of participating in the Oct. 7 attacks, with one said to have kidnapped a woman and another to have taken part in the massacre at a kibbutz where 97 people died. Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Ella escaped her parents’ fate only by sleeping elsewhere in the kibbutz that night. David Harsanyi, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024 Hagi was killed on Oct. 7 at the kibbutz and his body was taken to Gaza where it's still being held, according to a kibbutz spokesperson. Abc News, ABC News, 24 Dec. 2023 The extraordinary event saw the workers-cum-asylum seekers and an IDF artillery unit stationed on the outskirts of this southern kibbutz, which was hard-hit in the Hamas invasion, break bread together. Etgar Lefkovits, Sun Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kibbutz.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Modern Hebrew qibbūṣ

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kibbutz was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near kibbutz

Cite this Entry

“Kibbutz.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kibbutz. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

kibbutz

noun
kib·​butz kib-ˈu̇ts How to pronounce kibbutz (audio) -ˈüts How to pronounce kibbutz (audio)
plural kibbutzim -ˌu̇t-ˈsēm How to pronounce kibbutz (audio)
-ˌüt-
: a farming settlement in Israel that is owned and shared equally by the people who live there and run it

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