Jewish

American  

[joo-ish] / ˈdʒu ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Jews or Judaism.

   Jewish customs.

2. Informal. Yiddish.

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noun

1. Informal. Yiddish.

Jewish British  

/ ˈdʒuːɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Jews

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noun

1. a less common word for Yiddish

Other Word Forms

• Jewishly adverb
• Jewishness noun
• anti-Jewish adjective
• half-Jewish adjective
• non-Jewish adjective
• pre-Jewish adjective
• pro-Jewish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Jewish

1540–50; Jew + -ish ¹; compare Old English iudēisc < Late Latin iudē ( us ) Jew + Old English -isc -ish ¹

Compare meaning

How does jewish compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• goyish vs. Jewish

Example Sentences

The new effort, which builds on £73.4m already committed for protective security at Jewish, Muslim and other faith sites for 2026-27, will initially focus on policing in communities, particularly faith communities, across London and Manchester.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Under long‑standing arrangements, Jews may visit the compound -- which they revere as the site of the first and second Jewish temples -- but they are not permitted to pray there.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

In December 2023, West apologised to "the Jewish community" for a series of antisemitic remarks he had made the previous year.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Any student of Jewish history understands that antisemitism isn’t a blip on the radar but a fact of Jewish life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

And will I have to give up wearing my Jewish star?

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar