Jew

¹ American  

[joo] / dʒu /

noun

1. one of a scattered group of people that traces its descent from the Biblical Hebrews or from postexilic adherents of Judaism; Israelite.

2. a person whose religion is Judaism.

3. a subject of the ancient kingdom of Judah.

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adjective

1. Offensive.  of Jews; Jewish.

verb (used with object)

1. Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.  jew, to bargain sharply with; beat down in price (often followed bydown ).

Jew. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Jewish.

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Jew British  

/ dʒuː /

noun

1. a member of the Semitic people who claim descent from the ancient Hebrew people of Israel, are spread throughout the world, and are linked by cultural or religious ties

2. a person whose religion is Judaism

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Sensitive Note

While both the adjective and the verb were once used in a neutral way by Jews and non-Jews, they are now considered problematic and offensive. The adjectival use of Jew, as in the phrase Jew boy, is perceived as insulting; the adjective Jewish should be used instead. The verb jew (down) is also perceived as offensive and antisemitic, because it perpetuates the stereotype of the shrewd Jewish moneylender or haggler.

Other Word Forms

• non-Jew noun

Etymology

Origin of Jew

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English jewe, giu, gyu, ju, from Old French juiu, juieu, gyu, from Late Latin judēus, Latin jūdaeus, from Greek ioudaîos, from Aramaic yehūdāi, from Hebrew Yəhūdhī, derivative of Yəhūdhāh Judah; replacing Old English iūdēas “Jews,” from Late Latin jūdē(us) + Old English -as, a plural ending

Example Sentences

The Central Council of Jews in Germany and the Jewish Claims Conference, an organization seeking compensation for Holocaust survivors, support the new system and were involved in its conception.

From Barron's

They lived in Ottoman Salonica, a melting-pot of Greeks, Turks, Jews, Albanians and cosmopolitan traders from all over Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal

Only two percent of ultra-Orthodox Jews respond to conscription orders according to the military, which has created units specifically for them.

From Barron's

The last Jews left Gaza City in 1929 during the riots that engulfed British-controlled Mandatory Palestine that year, ending a history shaped by the tragic events that plagued this repeatedly destroyed city.

From Barron's

The West apparently got the idea from the Jews.

From The Wall Street Journal