a member of a Jewish sect originating in the 8th century ad, which rejected the Talmud, favoured strict adherence to and a literal interpretation of the Bible, and attempted to deduce a code of life from it
adjective
2.
of, relating to, or designating the Karaite sect
Word origin
C18: from Hebrew qāraīm members of the sect, scripturalists, from qārā to read
Karaite in American English
(ˈkeɪrəˌaɪt)
noun
a member of a Jewish sect, established in the Middle East in the 8th cent., rejecting the Talmud and acknowledging only the Bible as the authority in religion
Derived forms
Karaism (ˈKaraˌism)
noun
Word origin
< Heb karaim, readers of the Scriptures (< kara, to read + -im, pl. suffix) + -ite1