What does "bethlehem" mean?
A lunatic asylum.
Bethlehem
/ˈbɛθləhɛm/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A lunatic asylum.
- Grammar: bethlehem is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: birthplace, city name, geographic name, holy site.
- Useful contrasts: countryside, profane site, rural area.
- Usage evidence: Afterwards, we went to Bethlehem to see the statues.
How to use "bethlehem"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bethlehem" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bethlehem" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bethlehem" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bethlehem" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bethlehem" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "birthplace" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bethlehem", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A lunatic asylum. obsolete
- 2 In the Ethiopic church, a small building attached to a church edifice, in which the bread for the Eucharist is made.
"[…] to the Hebrew and Arabic word “korban” as now used in the Abyssinian Church to denote the sacramental bread specially prepared in the “Bethlehem,” or “House of Bread.”"
Proper Noun
- 1 A city in the West Bank, Palestine, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.
"Now when Ieſus was boꝛne in Bethlehem of Iudea, in the dayes of Herod the king, behold, there came Wiſe men from the Eaſt to Hierusalem,"
- 2 A number of other places around the world:; A hamlet near Rottum, Groningen province, Netherlands.
- 3 A number of other places around the world:; A settlement just west of Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.
- 4 A number of other places around the world:; A town in the Free State province, South Africa.
- 5 A number of other places around the world:; A quarter of Bümpliz-Oberbottigen, city of Bern, Switzerland.
Show 20 more definitions
- 6 A number of other places around the world:; A small village in Llangadog community, Carmarthenshire, Wales (OS grid ref SN6825).
- 7 A number of other places around the world:; A hamlet in Rudbaxton community, Pembrokeshire, Wales (OS grid ref SM9820).
- 8 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Litchfield County, Connecticut.
- 9 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Holmes County, Florida.
- 10 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Barrow County, Georgia.
- 11 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A township and unincorporated community therein, in Clark County, Indiana.
- 12 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Henry County, Kentucky.
- 13 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Winn Parish, Louisiana.
- 14 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Caroline County, Maryland.
- 15 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A census-designated place in Marshall County, Mississippi.
- 16 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A town and census-designated place therein, in Grafton County, New Hampshire.
- 17 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Albany County, New York.
- 18 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A census-designated place in Alexander County, North Carolina.
- 19 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A ghost town in Marion County, Ohio.
- 20 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Richland County, Ohio.
- 21 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A city in Northampton County and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
- 22 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Wayne County, Tennessee.
- 23 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Harrison County, West Virginia.
- 24 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A village in Ohio County, West Virginia.
- 25 A number of other places around the world:; A number of places in the United States:; A number of other townships in the United States, listed under Bethlehem Township
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Afterwards, we went to Bethlehem to see the statues."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bethlehem"?
Common synonyms include: birthplace, city name, geographic name, holy site, place name, religious site.
How do you use "bethlehem" in a sentence?
Afterwards, we went to Bethlehem to see the statues.
How do you pronounce "bethlehem"?
Pronounced /ˈbɛθləhɛm/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English Bethleem, from Old French Bethleem and Old English Bethleem, from Latin Bēthlehēmum, from Ancient Greek Βηθλεέμ (Bēthleém), from Hebrew בֵּית לֶחֶם (bēṯ lɛ́ḥɛm, literally “house of bread”). Doublet of bedlam and Belém.