Israelite

[iz-ree-uh-lahyt, -rey-]

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.

adjective

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

Israelite

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• non-Israelite noun
• pre-Israelite adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Israelite¹

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

Example Sentences

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.

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

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

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In the Bible God commands the Israelites to destroy their persecutors, the Amalekites.

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The major Jewish holiday celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and so has special poignancy for the freed hostages and those still captive in Gaza, like Eitan.

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