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Definitions

shibboleth

[shib-uh-lith, ‑-leth] / ˈʃɪb ə lɪθ, ‑ˌlɛθ /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent,” is a financial industry shibboleth most investors have learned through a great deal of pain.

From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025

This is the shibboleth that no fault must ever attach to the electorate.

From Salon • Aug. 24, 2025

That’s because, contrary to the shibboleth, the good isn’t the enemy of the great—it’s the loam of the great.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 9, 2023

Precisely because it’s off-limits to outsiders, it can function as a shibboleth among certain Black speakers, who use it more or less interchangeably with “guy” or “brother.”

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2022

Henry Reid, engineer-in-charge of the Langley laboratory, crooned to his employees, the shibboleth a reminder of the importance of the airplane to the war’s outcome.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly




Vocabulary lists containing shibboleth


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