bat mitzvah

or bath mitz·vah, bas mitz·vah

[ baht mits-vuh, bahs; Sephardic Hebrew baht meets-vah; Ashkenazic Hebrew bahs mits-vuh ]
/ bɑt ˈmɪts və, bɑs; Sephardic Hebrew ˈbɑt mitsˈvɑ; Ashkenazic Hebrew bɑs ˈmɪts və /
Judaism.

noun (often initial capital letters)

a solemn ceremony, chiefly among Reform and Conservative Jews, that is held in the synagogue on Friday night or Saturday morning to admit formally as an adult member of the Jewish community a girl 12 to 13 years old.
the girl participating in this ceremony.

verb (used with object)

to administer the ceremony of bat mitzvah to.
Compare bar mitzvah.

Origin of bat mitzvah

From the Hebrew word bath miṣwāh literally, daughter of the divine law

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bat mitzvah

bar mitzvah bas mitzvah bat mitzvah

British Dictionary definitions for bas mitzvah

Bat Mitzvah
/ (bɑːt ˈmɪtsvə) sometimes not capitals Judaism /

adjective

(of a Jewish girl) having attained religious majority at the age of twelve

noun

the date of, or, in some congregations, a ceremony marking, this event
the girl herself on that day
Also called (old-fashioned): Bas Mitzvah

Word Origin for Bat Mitzvah

from Hebrew, literally: daughter of the commandment

Cultural definitions for bas mitzvah

bat mitzvah
[ (baht, bahs mits-vuh) ]

An important ceremony and social event in Judaism marking the beginning of religious responsibility for Jewish girls; it is the less frequently observed counterpart of the bar mitzvah. Bat mitzvah is Hebrew for “daughter of the commandment.”