Israeli

American  

[iz-rey-lee] / ɪzˈreɪ li /

noun

plural

Israelis,

plural

Israeli

1. a native or inhabitant of modern Israel.

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adjective

1. of or relating to modern Israel or its inhabitants.

Israeli British  

/ ɪzˈreɪlɪ /

noun

1. a citizen or inhabitant of the state of Israel

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the state of Israel or its inhabitants

Other Word Forms

• anti-Israeli noun
• pro-Israeli noun

Etymology

Origin of Israeli

First recorded in 1945–50; from Hebrew yisrāʿēlī, equivalent to Yisrā'ēl + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; Israel

Example Sentences

Lebanese officials hope the talks result in a ceasefire and the disarmament of Hezbollah, as well as avert a renewed, long-term Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

He is the co-founder of eOS, an AI-agentic platform, and brought the startup’s technology to Esh Bank, an Israeli lender and one of his other investments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Even from my home in east Beirut I could occasionally hear the buzz of Israeli drones circling overhead.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

"We are continuing our efforts... to negotiate to stop the war," he added, ahead of planned talks on Tuesday in Washington between Lebanese, Israeli and US officials.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Her husband was an Arab, and there were Israeli paramilitaries on the ground in the city.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers