: the god of destruction and regeneration in the Hindu sacred triad compare brahma entry 1, vishnu
variants
or less commonly shivah
or Shiva
or Shivah
: a traditional seven-day period of mourning the death of a family member that is observed in Jewish homes
Details about the funeral and shiva have not yet been finalized.—
Alyssa Fisher
Alyssa FisherThe observance of Shiva is traced to the dawn of Jewish history. The Torah relates that Joseph mourned the death of Jacob his father for seven days.—Zalman Goldstein
—often used in the phrase sit shiva
Zalman GoldsteinWe're going to say kaddish, sit shiva and eat poundcake for a week—Gary David Goldberg
Gary David GoldbergShe's sitting shivah for her father. She doesn't want to be disturbed.—Etgar Keret
Etgar Keret… the comedy centers on a dysfunctional family that is forced to reunite when their father requests they sit Shivah for seven days following his death.—Dave Trumbore
Dave TrumboreExamples of Shiva in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024
The Bodies house was this huge spooky mansion, and the Shiva Baby house had just one bathroom, but there was this instant camaraderie and connection.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
Emily Listfield, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Apr. 2023
However, on the unexpected death of Tamás’s wife (Ágnes Máhr), Iván, who had become religious in Israel in the meantime, decides to move into Tamás’s apartment and, in accordance with Jewish traditions, spend a week of mourning and shiva.
—Marina Lazarevska, Variety, 16 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for Shiva 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Noun
On the coffee table, a Shiva vase by Ettore Sottsass (BD Barcelona).
—Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2024
The Bodies house was this huge spooky mansion, and the Shiva Baby house had just one bathroom, but there was this instant camaraderie and connection.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
Noun
Later that week, at my mother’s shiva, her friends laughed and traded stories about her determination, resilience, and gift for reinvention.
—Emily Listfield, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Apr. 2023
However, on the unexpected death of Tamás’s wife (Ágnes Máhr), Iván, who had become religious in Israel in the meantime, decides to move into Tamás’s apartment and, in accordance with Jewish traditions, spend a week of mourning and shiva.
—Marina Lazarevska, Variety, 16 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for Shiva
Dictionary Entries Near Shiva
Cite this Entry
“Shiva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Shiva. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share