ultra-orthodox

IPA/ˌʌl.trəˈɔː.θə.dɒks/
IPA/ˌʌl.trəˈɔːr.θə.dɑːks/

ultra-orthodox — adjective

1. describing Jewish people or groups that follow a much stricter and more traditio

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

describing Jewish people or groups that follow a much stricter and more traditional form of religious life than most others in Judaism

Example

The ultra-Orthodox school asked boys to keep black hats on all day.

ultra-Orthodox school

Karim rented a flat next to an ultra-Orthodox family in Jerusalem.

Common collocations
  • ultra-Orthodox community
  • ultra-Orthodox family
  • ultra-Orthodox school
  • ultra-Orthodox paper
Synonyms
  • strictly observant

    focuses on carefully following religious rules

  • traditional

    broader and less specific about religion or community identity

  • conservative

    can suggest resistance to change, but it is less specific than ultra-Orthodox

Antonyms
  • liberal

    can describe groups that accept more religious change

  • Reform

    used especially in Judaism for a less traditional branch

Grammar Patterns

an ultra-Orthodox school

an ultra-Orthodox family

be ultra-Orthodox

Usage Note

Used mainly with nouns such as family, school, community, and newspaper. In most modern writing it refers specifically to very strictly traditional Jewish life, not simply to anyone who is deeply religious.

Common Mistakes

My uncle is ultra-Orthodox because he prays before meals.
My uncle is devout, but not ultra-Orthodox.
Ultra-Orthodox is a specific label for a very strict traditional branch within Judaism, not a general word for religious.

ultra-orthodox — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Ultra-Orthodox is stronger and narrower than orthodox. Orthodox can describe many kinds of older or accepted religious teaching, but ultra-Orthodox usually points to Jewish communities that keep especially strict rules about dress, school life, worship, and daily habits. Observant focuses on carefully keeping religious law, even when a person is not part of an ultra-Orthodox group. Traditional is broader and can describe family customs, weddings, or social habits with no strong religious meaning. Conservative often suggests resistance to change, but it can also be political. You can say an orthodox rabbi or a traditional household, but an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood suggests a very specific Jewish setting.

orthodox ↗observant ↗traditional ↗conservative ↗

Etymology

LatinGreekEnglish

Ultra-Orthodox is a modern English combination of ultra-, from Latin meaning beyond or to an extreme degree, and orthodox, a word from Greek roots meaning right belief. The combined form came to describe people or groups seen as more strictly traditional than the mainstream, especially within Judaism.

First known use

1830

1830, in the meaning defined above