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• Jew
  Jew

  noun

  one of a scattered group of people that traces its descent from the Biblical Hebrews or from postexilic adherents of Judaism; Israelite.
• Jew.
  Jew.

  abbreviation

  Jewish.

Jew

¹ American  

[joo] / dʒu /

noun

1. one of a scattered group of people that traces its descent from the Biblical Hebrews or from postexilic adherents of Judaism; Israelite.

2. a person whose religion is Judaism.

3. a subject of the ancient kingdom of Judah.

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adjective

1. Offensive. of Jews; Jewish.

verb (used with object)

1. Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. jew, to bargain sharply with; beat down in price (often followed bydown ).

Jew. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Jewish.

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Jew British  

/ dʒuː /

noun

1. a member of the Semitic people who claim descent from the ancient Hebrew people of Israel, are spread throughout the world, and are linked by cultural or religious ties

2. a person whose religion is Judaism

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Sensitive Note

While both the adjective and the verb were once used in a neutral way by Jews and non-Jews, they are now considered problematic and offensive. The adjectival use of Jew, as in the phrase Jew boy, is perceived as insulting; the adjective Jewish should be used instead. The verb jew (down) is also perceived as offensive and antisemitic, because it perpetuates the stereotype of the shrewd Jewish moneylender or haggler.

Other Word Forms

• non-Jew
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Jew

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English jewe, giu, gyu, ju, from Old French juiu, juieu, gyu, from Late Latin judēus, Latin jūdaeus, from Greek ioudaîos, from Aramaic yehūdāi, from Hebrew Yəhūdhī, derivative of Yəhūdhāh Judah; replacing Old English iūdēas “Jews,” from Late Latin jūdē(us) + Old English -as, a plural ending

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Jew Jew.

Robert Briscoe, who was both a celebrated Irish revolutionary and an Orthodox Jew, became lord mayor of Dublin in the 1950s.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

He described himself as "a proud British Jew" and outlined his steadfast support for the state of Israel.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

"When you say you're a Jew, that means a commitment."

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

Democrats lost their majority in 2024, but Mr. Schumer as minority leader is still the highest-ranking Jew in U.S. elective office.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

A man who is Polish as well as a Jew.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

“Comrade. Jew. We Only Wanted Paradise on Earth,” at the Jewish Museum in Vienna, offered a hundred-year survey of the art and literature of Jewish Communists, from Moscow to the gulag and into exile.

From New York Times ● Dec. 5, 2018

“But that’s not all I am, any more than a Christian is just a Christian or a Jew or a Jew. I’m not mocking anything.”

From The Guardian ● Dec. 13, 2017

“God put us on this earth to laugh. Am I right? He made you a Lebanese? He made me a Jew. So what? “What’s your first name?

From Washington Post ● Apr. 6, 2017

“Marlon, in case you’ve forgotten,” Elizabeth said, “I am also a Jew. Am I on a plane, Marlon? Am I on a plane?”

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 1, 2015

“Well,” I said, “my real mother was a Jew. That makes me a Jew.”

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith