All there [the scribes and Pharisees'] workꝭ [workis] they do⸝ for to be ſene of men. They ſett abroade there philateris⸝ and make large borders on there garmenttꝭ [garmenttis]⸝ […]
Source: wiktionary
Phylactery
/fɪˈlæktəɹi/
Synonyms for "phylactery" (85 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (17)
Strong matches (26)
Related words (42)
monstrancemumbo jumboobeahosculatoryostensoriumpaschal candlepaxperiaptphilterphylacteriespietaprayer shawlprayer wheelpyxrelicsroodrosarysacramentalsacred relicssacring bell
Noun(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: tefillin, agnus dei, amulet, ark, asperger.
- Sentence evidence is available for phylactery, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "phylactery".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "phylactery"
Keep "phylactery" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "phylactery" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "phylactery", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "phylactery" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
3 entriesCollocations
6 entriesTorah versesarm tefillinblack leather casehead tefillinlich phylacteryparchment scrolls
Inflections
1 entriesTranslations
78 translations across 35 languages.
Ancient Greek
2 entries- φυλακτήριον noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- φυλακτήριον noun (synonym of amulet (cognates) — see also amulet)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- tefilin noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Basque
1 entries- filakteria noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Bulgarian
2 entries- тфили́н noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- филактерия noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Catalan
4 entries- filacteri noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- filacteri noun (synonym of amulet (cognates) — see also amulet)
- filacteri noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
- filactèria noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Chinese Mandarin
3 entries- 經匣 /经匣 noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- 經文護符匣 /经文护符匣 noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- 話語卷軸 /话语卷轴 noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
Czech
2 entries- fylaktéria noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- tfilin noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Danish
2 entries- skriftbånd noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
- tefillin noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Dutch
4 entries- banderol noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
- fylakterion noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- fylakterion noun (synonym of amulet (cognates) — see also amulet)
- spreukband noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
Finnish
2 entries- tefillin noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- tekstinauha noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
French
4 entries- fronteau noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- phylactère noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- phylactère noun (synonym of amulet (cognates) — see also amulet)
- phylactère noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
German
4 entries- Denkzettel noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- Gebetsriemen noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- Phylakterion noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- Spruchband noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
Greek
1 entries- τεφιλίν noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Hebrew
2 entries- טוטפת noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- תפילין noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Irish
2 entries- fíleachtaeir noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- tefillin noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Italian
2 entries- filatterio noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- filatterio noun (synonym of amulet (cognates) — see also amulet)
Latin
1 entries- phylactērium noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Norwegian Bokmål
3 entries- bønneremme noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- fylakteri noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- tefillín noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Norwegian Nynorsk
2 entries- bønereime noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- tefillín noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Old Armenian
1 entries- պահպանակ noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Old Polish
1 entries- brama noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Polish
2 entries- filakterie noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- filakterie noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
Portuguese
4 entries- bandeirola noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
- filactera noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
- filactério noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- filactério noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
Romanian
1 entries- filacteră noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Russian
3 entries- тфили́н noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- филакте́рия noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- филакте́рия noun (synonym of amulet (cognates) — see also amulet)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- filakterij noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- filakterij noun (synonym of amulet (cognates) — see also amulet)
- filakterìōn noun (synonym of amulet (cognates) — see also amulet)
- филактерѝо̄н noun (synonym of amulet (cognates) — see also amulet)
Slovak
2 entries- fylaktéri noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- tfilin noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Slovene
2 entries- filakterija noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- tefilin noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Spanish
1 entries- filacteria noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Swedish
2 entries- språkband noun (scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person’s mouth or held in their hands — see also banderole, speech scroll)
- tefillin noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Tamil
1 entries- நாடா noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Turkish
1 entries- tefilin noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Ukrainian
2 entries- тфілі́н noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
- філактери noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Welsh
1 entries- phylacter noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Yiddish
1 entries- תּפֿילין noun (either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah)
Sample sentences
25 total sentences available.
They [the scribes and Pharisees] walke vp and doune bearyng about brode Philacteries, they go with broad ⁊ gorgiouſe imbroderinges, and ſhewe furth the commaundementes of the lawe written in them, where as in their lyfe they neuer appeare.
Source: wiktionary
But all their [the scribes and Pharisees'] workes they doe, for to be ſeene of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, […]
Source: wiktionary
On the right hand of [a wax figure representing] Popery sat Judaism, represented by an old man embroidered with phylacteries, and distinguished by many typical figures, which I had not skill enough to unriddle.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 25 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "phylactery"?
Closest matches include tefillin, agnus dei, amulet, ark, asperger.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "phylactery"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.