Israel
Americannoun
-
a republic in southwest Asia, on the Mediterranean: formed as a Jewish state May 1948. 7,984 sq. mi. (20,679 sq. km). Jerusalem (but not recognized by the international community).
-
the people traditionally descended from the Biblical Jacob; the Hebrew or Jewish people.
-
(in the Bible) a name given to Jacob after he had wrestled with an angel.
-
the northern kingdom of the ancient Hebrews, including 10 of the 12 tribes, sometimes called by the name of the chief tribe, Ephraim. Samaria.
-
a group considered by its members or by others as God's chosen people.
-
a male given name.
noun
-
a republic in SW Asia, on the Mediterranean Sea: established in 1948, in the former British mandate of Palestine, as a primarily Jewish state; 8 disputes with Arab neighbours (who did not recognize the state of Israel), erupted into full-scale wars in 1948, 1956, 1967 (the Six Day War), and 1973 (the Yom Kippur War). In 1993 Israel agreed to grant autonomous status to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, according to the terms of a peace agreement with the PLO. Official languages: Hebrew and Arabic. Religion: Jewish majority, Muslim and Christian minorities. Currency: shekel. Capital: Jerusalem (international recognition withheld as East Jerusalem was annexed (1967) by Israel: UN recognized capital: Tel Aviv). Pop: 7 707 042 (2013 est). Area (including Golan Heights and East Jerusalem): 21 946 sq km (8473 sq miles)
-
-
the ancient kingdom of the 12 Hebrew tribes at the SE end of the Mediterranean
-
the kingdom in the N part of this region formed by the ten northern tribes of Israel in the 10th century bc and destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 bc
-
-
informal the Jewish community throughout the world
Discover More
Periodic Palestinian intifadas against Israeli domination of the West Bank and Gaza Strip continue.
The state of Israel, a homeland for Jews (see also Jews) worldwide, was proclaimed in 1948. Since then, conflict has arisen because of opposition by the surrounding Arab peoples to the formation of a Jewish state on what they consider Arab territory (see Arab-Israeli conflict).
The United States has been Israel's major supporter, but Israeli settlements on the West Bank strained U.S.-Israel relations.
As a move toward permanent peace between Israel and the Arab states, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat met with U. S. President James Earl Carter in the United States and signed a peace treaty in 1979.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Israel
First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English, from Latin Isrāēl, from Greek Isrāḗl, from Hebrew Yisrā'ēl literally, “God perseveres”
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.
Arab Israelis, also known as Palestinian citizens of Israel, account for about 21 percent of the country's population.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
At a polling station in Raanana, a city in central Israel, Abir Yaakov Shulman, 16, wore a Likud T-shirt and was volunteering for Netanyahu’s party.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Gold told The Times he had never publicly staked out a position on Israel or Gaza.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
"I think this is one of the most important election days in the history of the state of Israel," Uriel Brandler, a 58-year-old real estate agent, told AFP in Jerusalem the day before the vote.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
“I brought two sandwiches for lunch today,” Lucca was telling Israel, “in case you want to trade cookies for one.”
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
