Jewish
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of the Jews or Judaism.
Jewish customs.
-
Informal. Yiddish.
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The prime minister and home secretary fast-tracked the legislation after recent attacks on Jewish targets.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
“It’s a really painful time in the community,” said Jarrod Bernstein, a New York lawyer and former liaison to the Jewish community for President Obama.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
It was Betty who ensured her sons received serious Jewish educations and helped direct Rothschild family philanthropy toward Palestine long before political Zionism had formally taken shape.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
She added that the film festival is a “forum that is meant to spark dialogue” and that Jewish comedians throughout history have used humor as a way to cope with anti-Semitism.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
And some very religious Jewish women also cover their heads with a scarf.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
