Gaon (Hebrew)

Gaon (gā'ōn) (Hebrew: גאון‎, plural גְּאוֹנִים‎ geonim — gĕ'ōnīm) may have originated as a shortened version of "Rosh Yeshivat Ge'on Ya'akov", though there are alternative explanations. In Ancient Hebrew, it referred to arrogance and haughty pride (Amos 6:8), and later became known as a general term for pride, both the positive and negative forms ('Pride [of]'; Late medieval and modern Hebrew for 'genius'). Today, it may refer to:

Many great Rabbis, though not formally referred to as the "Gaon of ..." are often lauded with this honorific as both a mark of respect and a means to indicate their greatness in the field of Torah learning.

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