SKIP TO CONTENT

kibbutz

/kɪˈbʊts/
IPA guide

Other forms: kibbutzim; kibbutzes

A kibbutz is a cooperative Israeli farming community. Kibbutzim provide about forty percent of Israel's agricultural output.

The first kibbutz was formed in 1909, and back then farming was even more important than it is in today's kibbutzim (yes, this is the plural form of kibbutz). The original philosophy of kibbutzim was somewhat utopian, a belief in the creation of a perfect, equal society, and based in socialist ideals of shared ownership and a communal lifestyle. The word comes from the Modern Hebrew qibbus, "a gathering."

Definitions of kibbutz
  1. noun
    a collective farm or settlement owned by its members in modern Israel; children are reared collectively
    see moresee less
    type of:
    collective farm
    a farm operated collectively
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘kibbutz'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family