Jewish

American  

[joo-ish] / ˈdʒu ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Jews or Judaism.

   Jewish customs.

2. Informal. Yiddish.

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noun

1. Informal. Yiddish.

Jewish British  

/ ˈdʒuːɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Jews

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noun

1. a less common word for Yiddish

Other Word Forms

• Jewishly adverb
• Jewishness noun
• anti-Jewish adjective
• half-Jewish adjective
• non-Jewish adjective
• pre-Jewish adjective
• pro-Jewish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Jewish

1540–50; Jew + -ish ¹; compare Old English iudēisc < Late Latin iudē ( us ) Jew + Old English -isc -ish ¹

Compare meaning

How does jewish compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• goyish vs. Jewish

Example Sentences

The Bulldog’s chief delight at the Beje, after talking with Father, were the tomes of Jewish theology now housed in Tante Jans’s big mahogany case.

From Literature

Two Iranian men have been charged with an offence under the National Security Act after an investigation into alleged reconnaissance of Jewish targets on behalf of Iran.

From BBC

Lore Segal was 10 years old in 1938 when Nazi Germany annexed Austria and began the process of annulling the citizenships and confiscating the properties of Jewish families such as her own.

From The Wall Street Journal

Argentina is host to the largest Jewish community in Latin America, with nearly 300,000 people living mostly in Buenos Aires.

From Barron's

The most secular of Jews, Sondheim is now the subject of a biography in Yale University Press’ excellent Jewish Lives series.

From Los Angeles Times