Gadol
/ɡəˈdoʊl/noun
In Jewish usage, a highly respected or eminent rabbi, especially a leading Torah scholar.
Did you know?Gadol comes from the Hebrew root גדל, meaning “to grow” or “become great,” linking physical size with intellectual and spiritual greatness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*g-d-l
“To become great, grow large, or increase”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
גָּדוֹל (gadol)
“Great, large, important, or eminent”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
גָּדוֹל (gadol)
“A great person, especially a distinguished sage”
Medieval Jewish usage
Hebrew/Yiddish
gadol
“A major Torah scholar or revered rabbinic authority”
20th Century
English
gadol
“An eminent rabbi, particularly in Orthodox Jewish communities”
Modern English
English
Gadol
“A respected or leading Jewish religious scholar”