Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The minimum number of ten adult Jews or, among the Orthodox, Jewish men required for a communal religious service.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In Jewish use, count; number; specifically, the number of ten males above thirteen years of age required for public worship and other religious practices in the synagogue.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Jewish Relig.) A quorum, or number necessary, for conducting public worship.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The minimum number of ten adult Jews required for a communal religious service.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the quorum required by Jewish law to be present for public worship (at least ten males over thirteen years of age)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Hebrew minyān, number, minyan, from Aramaic minyānā, from mənā, to count; see mnw in Semitic roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Hebrew מנין.

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Examples

  • For example, you need at least 10 people, called a minyan, to say certain prayers.

    KUOW 94.9 Puget Sound Public Radio 2009

  • For example, you need at least 10 people, called a minyan, to say certain prayers.

    OPB News 2009

  • A minyan is a quorum of at least 10 Jewish adults required for public worship.

    Oy Bay! 2009

  • Mr. Staley also tells of the fun he had, in the early '90s, marshaling a "minyan" of Texans for the funds to "get I.B. Singer's archive out of New York."

    A Magnum Opus for Ransom Anne S. Lewis 2010

  • Mr. Staley also tells of the fun he had, in the early '90s, marshaling a "minyan" of Texans for the funds to "get I.B. Singer's archive out of New York."

    A Magnum Opus for Ransom Anne S. Lewis 2010

  • Mr. Staley also tells of the fun he had, in the early '90s, marshaling a "minyan" of Texans for the funds to "get I.B. Singer's archive out of New York."

    A Magnum Opus for Ransom Anne S. Lewis 2010

  • She says her estrangement from religious observance came when as a teenager she was not counted toward a prayer "minyan" after the death of her mother.

    Justice Ginsburg Reflects On Role of Her Jewish Heritage Howard M. Friedman 2008

  • Gatherings of some groups, called "minyan" in Hebrew, include some ideas that break traditional rules on the involvement of women.

    Ventura County Star Stories 2010

  • As of opening day, a "minyan" of Jewish players were on major league rosters:

    J. Weekly 2009

  • The SOJA will ensure that there is a minimum quota or "minyan" of Jewish players on every professional sports team.

    Aish Weekly Articles 2009

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  • "But now, in the city that was once the community’s heart, they cannot muster even a minyan, the 10 Jewish men required to perform some of the most important rituals of their faith."

    The New York Times, Baghdad Jews Have Become a Fearful Few, by Stephen Farrell, June 1, 2008

    June 1, 2008