shibboleth

noun

shib·bo·leth ˈshi-bə-ləth

also -ˌleth

: a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning

the old shibboleths come rolling off their lips—

Joseph Epstein

: a widely held belief

today this book publishing shibboleth is a myth—

L. A. Wood

: truism, platitude

some truth in the shibboleth that crime does not pay—

Lee Rogow

: a use of language regarded as distinctive of a particular group

accent was … a shibboleth of social class—

Vivian Ducat

: a custom or usage regarded as distinguishing one group from others

for most of the well-to-do in the town, dinner was a shibboleth, its hour dividing mankind—

Osbert Sitwell

Did you know?

The Bible's Book of Judges (12:4-6) tells the story of the Ephraimites, who, after they were routed by the Gileadite army, tried to retreat by sneaking across a ford of the Jordan River that was held by their enemy. The Gileadites, wary of the ploy, asked every soldier who tried to cross if he was an Ephraimite. When the soldier said "no," he was asked to say shibbōleth (which means "stream" in Hebrew). Gileadites pronounced the word "shibboleth," but Ephramites said "sibboleth." Anyone who didn't pronounce the initial sh was killed on the spot. When English speakers first borrowed shibboleth, they used it to mean "test phrase," but it has acquired additional meanings since that time.

Examples of shibboleth in a Sentence

She repeated the old shibboleth that time heals all wounds. we knew that their claim of giving “the best deal in town” was just a shibboleth

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

In a North Hollywood podcast studio last week, Gill Tejada and his co-host, Boo Boo, trashed liberal shibboleths, like any good Trumpers. —

Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 As far back as 2015, when all of Washington was under the influence of unfettered free-trade shibboleths, Trump warned about the dangers of economic dependencies, built up over decades of liberalization, that could be exploited for geopolitical leverage. —

Andrew Byers, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2024 One by one, the shibboleths that our public-health authorities put forward as reliable guidelines for behavior during the Covid-19 pandemic are being revealed as scientifically baseless health theater. —

The Editors, National Review, 17 May 2024 But for those who remain beholden to the shibboleths that once justified that act of national self-harm, the Times’ acknowledgment of the obvious might be valuable. —

The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shibboleth