Zaddik
n.thoughtful, kindformal
What it means
A person regarded as righteous and spiritually exemplary in Jewish tradition.
Reach for it when using the traditional title in a Jewish context where its religious meaning is understood
The community sought the zaddik's counsel before choosing mediators.
Choose between these
5- everyday
righteous person
when moral conduct needs a plain explanation
not when The phrase lacks the title's specific Jewish religious meaning.
- warm
saintly person
when exceptional goodness is being compared broadly
not when Saintly imports Christian vocabulary and should not rename a Jewish role.
- professional
spiritual leader
when guidance is the person's public function
not when Not every zaddik holds office or leads an institution.
- formal
tzaddik
when the more common transliteration is preferred
not when Spellings vary, and a community may deliberately use zaddik instead.
- literary
holy person
when reverence is central and the tradition is already named
not when Holiness is a broad quality, not a precise translation of the title.
Said against
3- wrongdoer
- sinner
- wicked person
It naturally appears in
3- revered zaddik
A revered zaddik may be remembered through stories of ordinary justice.
- counsel of a zaddik
The counsel of a zaddik urged repair before public honor.
- local zaddik
Neighbors regarded the patient teacher as a local zaddik.
Where this comes from
Zaddik is a culturally specific Jewish term with varied theological uses. Do not flatten it into a generic compliment.
- Wiktionary, English noun sense: variant of tzaddik, a righteous person in Judaism opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.