Hebrew

American  

[hee-broo] / ˈhi bru /

noun

• Hebrews
  plural

1. a member of the Semitic peoples inhabiting ancient Palestine and claiming descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; an Israelite.

2. a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic family, the language of the ancient Hebrews, which, although not in a vernacular use from 100 b.c. to the 20th century, was retained as the scholarly and liturgical language of Jews and is now the national language of Israel. Heb

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adjective

1. Hebraic.

2. noting or pertaining to the script developed from the Aramaic and early Hebraic alphabets, used since about the 3rd century b.c. for the writing of Hebrew, and later for Yiddish, Ladino, and other languages.

Hebrew British  

/ ˈhiːbruː /

noun

1. the ancient language of the Hebrews, revived as the official language of Israel. It belongs to the Canaanitic branch of the Semitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages

2. a member of an ancient Semitic people claiming descent from Abraham; an Israelite

3. archaic a Jew

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Hebrews or their language

2. archaic Jewish

Hebrew Cultural  

1. The language of the Hebrews, in which the Old Testament was written. It is the language of the modern state of Israel.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• non-Hebrew
  noun
• pre-Hebrew
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Hebrews
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Hebrew

before 1000; Middle English Hebreu, variant (with H- < Latin ) of Ebreu < Old French < Medieval Latin Ebrēus for Latin Hebraeus < Late Greek Hebraîos < Aramaic ʿIbhraij; replacing Old English Ebrēas (plural) < Medieval Latin Ebrēī

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Hebrew Hebrews

Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a Syrian-born British citizen, drove into the gates of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on 2 October last year.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

But critics say there is a difference between forgiving Galliano’s words and throwing a glamorous party in his honor—which also would fall at the start of Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah in Hebrew.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

By using a more advanced model that includes two distinct superconducting orders, the Hebrew University researchers were able to explain the experimental measurements much more accurately.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

Israeli tank tracks were still visible on the ground, while Hebrew writing was seen on the wall of one home.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Boaz could speak Hebrew without a problem, a smidge of Arabic, and his high school French.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

I thought of Hebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025

Yet the Hebrew Bible shows that Hebrews were as terrified of existential uprootedness as Blaise Pascal or any Christian king.

From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2024

Dozens of young Black Hebrews serve in the Israeli military, and many work for Teva Deli, a vegan food manufacturer.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2023

Months have dragged on without a decision from the Israeli authorities, leaving the undocumented Black Hebrews suspended between their homes in the Holy Land and what they see as exile.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2023

Lee said, “St. Paul says to the Hebrews that Abel had faith.”

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck