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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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Sensitivity

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

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Jew Jew.

Mr. Lévy is as proud a Jew as he is a Frenchman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

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

Ms. Berg, 64, is a Dutch Jew who has run the Jewish Museum since April 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The foreign secretary told MPs he is a "proud British Jew" but felt a "deep sense of shame" about the condition of the Palestinians.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

My best friend in high school was a Jew.

From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin

“My father told me never to forget that I was a Jew. God would protect me, he sincerely believed. My mother simply said, ‘Go, you have to live.’”

From Washington Post ● Feb. 3, 2023

“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

“He is very smart, deeply identified as a Jew. He’s emotional and has authenticity.”

From New York Times ● Jul. 17, 2015

“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

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