biblical

adjective

bib·​li·​cal ˈbi-bli-kəl How to pronounce biblical (audio)
Synonyms of biblicalnext
1
: of, relating to, or being in accord with the Bible (see bible sense 1)
a biblical passage
biblical references
2
: suggestive of the Bible or Bible times
his biblical beard
biblically
ˈbi-bli-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce biblical (audio)
adverb

Examples of biblical in a Sentence

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.
The question reminded me of the biblical allegory of Adam and Eve and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026 At various town hall events, Sand has cited biblical passages that can be interpreted as saying that life begins at breath instead of conception. — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026 Charlie Kirk often declared that the biblical role of the father to his child is to be their protector, both physically and spiritually. — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Most biblical scholars read the story of the flood in Genesis as part of a much older tradition of flood mythology from the ancient Near East. — Eric Vanden Eykel, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for biblical

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin biblicus, from biblia

First Known Use

1632, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of biblical was in 1632

Phrases Containing biblical

Browse Nearby Words

biblic
biblical
Biblical hand
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Biblical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biblical. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

biblical

adjective
bib·​li·​cal ˈbib-li-kəl How to pronounce biblical (audio)
: relating to, taken from, or found in the Bible
biblically
-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce biblical (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on biblical

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for biblical

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All