shalom means A traditional Jewish greeting or farewell.
shalom is pronounced /ʃɑːˈloʊm/.
Why “shalom” is a great word
A traditional Jewish greeting or farewell invoking a positive state of peace, wholeness, and well-being. Borrowed from Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (šālóm, "peace, well-being"), a doublet of salaam from Arabic. Unlike the English "peace," which primarily denotes an absence of strife, or the Arabic "salaam," which carries distinct Islamic devotional weight, shalom encompasses a complete state of safety, prosperity, and integral harmony. It is the crack of challah at a Friday table, the word spoken at a threshold, and the hope murmured over a child's head—not merely the end of conflict, but the presence of everything necessary for a life to be sound, like sunlight pooling in a well-tended home.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hebrew שָׁלוֹם (šālóm, “peace, well-being; Hello, good-bye”). Doublet of salaam, the same word via Arabic.
intj
- A traditional Jewish greeting or farewell.
name
- A surname from Hebrew.
- A unisex given name from Hebrew.
noun
- The traditional Jewish greeting of "shalom".e.g.“He exchanged shaloms with a group of young people coming out of the synagogue and turned left toward a corner.”
- Peace.e.g.“In Hebrew, bonai shalom means “builders of peace,” and the congregation welcomes both Jews and non-Jews to participate in all aspects of the community.”
verb
- To greet somebody with "shalom".
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- salaam 67% match — A respectful ceremonial greeting used mostly by Muslims. vs shalom →
- aloha 60% match — Good wishes, love, compassion, peacefulness and affection. vs shalom →
- farewell 58% match — A wish of happiness or safety at parting, especially a permanent departure. vs shalom →
- salutations 56% match — A greeting; hello. vs shalom →
- salue 55% match — To greet; to salute. vs shalom →
- ciao 52% match — Hello, hi. vs shalom →
- lechayim 51% match — "To life": a Jewish drinking toast. vs shalom →
- shaka 51% match — A greeting gesture in which the thumb and little finger are extended while curling the three middle fingers in a semi-fist, used to express a variety of positive meanings including all right, hello and goodbye. vs shalom →