gadol

Gadol is a Hebrew adjective meaning "great" or "large." In Biblical and modern Hebrew, the word describes size, importance, or significance and appears in masculine form gadol and feminine gedolah. The term is commonly used in religious and traditional contexts, where it forms part of titles referring to eminent leaders. A well-known usage is Gadol HaDor, a title applied to the leading rabbinic authority of a generation within parts of Orthodox Judaism; it denotes eminence rather than an official office. In everyday Hebrew, gadol is used descriptively, such as ir gadol ("a big city") or ha-yeled gadol ("the big boy"), with gender and definiteness matching the noun.

Gadol also appears in various compound expressions and is sometimes used to emphasize importance, such as "gadol me'od" meaning "very big" or "very important." The feminine form gedolah is used when describing feminine nouns. The word's semantic range has remained stable from ancient to modern usage, making gadol a common lexical item in Hebrew vocabulary.