antisemitism

Or an·ti-Sem·i·tism

[an-tee-sem-i-tiz-uhm, an-tahy-]

noun

1. discrimination against or prejudice or hostility toward Jews.

Spelling Note

The closed and lowercase spelling antisemitism is now the preferred form. Jewish groups have long preferred the single word spelling, and many style guides, including those of major publications, have also adopted it. While Semitic is a current linguistic term for a subfamily of Afroasiatic languages including Akkadian, Arabic, Aramaic, Ethiopic, Hebrew, and Phoenician, the spelling anti-Semite falsely implies prejudice against all of the diverse groups of people who speak any of these languages. However, that is not how antisemite is used. Rather, the “Semite” in antisemitism is a euphemism for “Jew,” meant to lend a scientific air to the racial grouping of all Jewish peoples based on an outdated pseudoscience of race.

Word History and Origins

Origin of antisemitism¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

He said he was concerned about antisemitism on campuses and warned universities the OfS was "prepared to act" if Jewish students were not protected.

Read more on BBC

A November 2023 survey showed that almost half of British Jews have considered leaving the U.K. due to the antisemitism they’ve seen or experienced since Oct.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

All of this has exacerbated the significant divisions over Israel and antisemitism that have roiled Hollywood since Oct.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mailman has been driving the White House efforts to crack down on schools over concerns about antisemitism and diversity initiatives.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This is a burden necessitated by violent antisemitism.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal