Israelite

American  

[iz-ree-uh-lahyt, -rey-] / ˈɪz ri əˌlaɪt, -reɪ- /

noun

1. a descendant of Jacob, especially a member of the Hebrew people who inhabited the ancient kingdom of Israel.

2. one of a group considered by its members or by others as God's chosen people.

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adjective

1. of or relating to ancient Israel or its people; Hebrew.

Israelite British  

/ ˈɪzrɪəˌlaɪt, -rə- /

noun

1. Bible a member of the ethnic group claiming descent from Jacob; a Hebrew

2. Bible a citizen of the kingdom of Israel (922 to 721 _bc ) as opposed to Judah

3. a member of any of various Christian sects who regard themselves as God's chosen people

4. an archaic and sometimes offensive word for a Jew

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Other Word Forms

• non-Israelite noun
• pre-Israelite adjective

Etymology

Origin of Israelite

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; Israel, -ite ¹

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, the Israelites face threats from the rival army of Philistines and the menacing scavenger tribe of Amalekites.

From The Wall Street Journal

On Sunday night Jews celebrated the beginning of Hanukkah, which commemorates the Israelite victory in 167 B.C. over the Seleucids and their effort to impose their Greek identity on the people of Israel.

From The Wall Street Journal

For those in the West, our understanding of man and the cosmos has unfolded in our inheritances from the Israelites, Greeks and Romans across the millennia.

From The Wall Street Journal

He begins with the Israelites, whose belief in humanity as God’s image sharply distinguished their faith from those of their Near Eastern neighbors.

From The Wall Street Journal

This is where the followers of Moses, the Israelites, are said to have waited for him during his time on Mount Sinai.

From BBC