What does baal mean?
Baal was the name given to a family of major deities worshipped across the ancient Near East by Semitic peoples such as the Canaanites and Phoenicians. The word itself derives from a Hebrew and Ugaritic term meaning 'lord' or 'master', so different local gods could each be a 'baal' — most famously the storm and fertility god associated with rain and abundant harvests. In the Hebrew Bible, Baal appears chiefly as the rival of the God of Israel, whose worship the prophets condemned; Elijah's dramatic contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel remains one of its best-known episodes. Over centuries, the name became shorthand for a false god or idol more generally, and scholars still use related forms such as 'Baalism' to describe the cult practices surrounding these deities. Beyond religion, the underlying Semitic word survived as a legal term for ownership and lordship.
nounIn the ancient Near East, any of various local fertility and storm deities worshipped by Semitic peoples; the name literally means 'lord' or 'master'. In modern usage, also a title applied to a false god or idol.
- Any of several ancient Semitic fertility or storm deities called 'lord' or 'master' by their worshippers.
- A title or epithet meaning 'owner', 'lord', or 'husband' in Semitic contexts (e.g., 'baal' as master of a house).
- A false god or idol in biblical and later religious usage.
"The prophets of the Old Testament repeatedly condemned Israel's worship of Baal alongside the God of Abraham."
"Elijah challenged the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel."
"In Hebrew legal texts, a woman's husband was sometimes described as her 'baal', her master and provider."
When referring to multiple distinct local deities each bearing the title, the anglicized plural 'Baals' is standard; the Hebrew-derived collective plural 'Baalim' also appears in older scholarship and biblical translations.
"The region's villages each honored their own Baals at local shrines."
The same Hebrew root behind 'Baal' gave us the name of a demon — Beelzebub literally began as 'Baal-Zebub', the Lord of the Flies.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of baal
The word comes from the Hebrew 'baʿal' (בַּעַל), meaning 'lord', 'owner', or 'master', a common Semitic root found in Ugaritic and other Northwest Semitic languages. It entered English through Greek and Latin biblical texts, where it designated the Canaanite storm and fertility deity. The related compound 'Beelzebub' preserves another form of the name, originally 'Baal-Zebub'. Cognates include Akkadian 'Bel', which served the same lordship function in Mesopotamian religion.
Related word forms
How baal is actually used
Capitalized when referring to the deity; often appears in lowercase in scholarly transliteration of the Hebrew sense meaning 'lord' or 'owner'. Strongly associated with biblical condemnation, so it carries connotations of paganism or idolatry in religious discourse.
Easily confused with baal
'Ball' is a common noun meaning a rounded object used in games, while 'Baal' refers to an ancient Semitic deity; they share only a similar sound.