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Judaism

American  
[joo-dee-iz-uhm, -day-, -duh-] / ˈdʒu diˌɪz əm, -deɪ-, -də- /

noun

  1. the monotheistic religion of the Jews, having its ethical, ceremonial, and legal foundation in the precepts of the Old Testament and in the teachings and commentaries of the rabbis as found chiefly in the Talmud.

  2. belief in and conformity to this religion, its practices, and ceremonies.

  3. this religion considered as forming the basis of the cultural and social identity of the Jews.

    He called assimilation a threat to American Judaism.

  4. Jews collectively; Jewry.


Judaism British  
/ ˈdʒuːdeɪˌɪzəm /

noun

  1. the religion of the Jews, based on the Old Testament and the Talmud and having as its central point a belief in the one God as transcendent creator of all things and the source of all righteousness

  2. the religious and cultural traditions, customs, attitudes, and way of life of the Jews

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Judaism Cultural  
  1. The religion of the Israelites of the Bible (see also Bible) and of the Jews (see also Jews) of today, based on the teachings of the Torah. Judaism involves the belief in one God, whose Chosen People are the Jews. Abraham is considered the founder of Judaism, although Moses, who delivered the laws of God to the Israelites, is also an important figure. The holy days and festivals of Judaism include Hanukkah, Passover (see also Passover), Purim, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur. (See also Sabbath.)


Discover More

A symbol (see also symbol) of Judaism, the Star of David is a six-pointed star, formed by placing two triangles together, one upon the other, or interlaced.

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of Judaism

1485–95; < Late Latin jūdaismus < Greek ioudaismós, equivalent to Ioudaî ( os ) Jew + -ismos -ism


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The event is to place on Sunday at the European Centre for Judaism in the French capital.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

One is United Torah Judaism – or UTJ – and represents Ashkenazi Jews, or Jews of European origin.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

“Jews are not a single ethnicity. Judaism is a religion,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

"My Judaism is to love the creation that God has created."

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

No. Is my life now going to be all about Judaism?

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

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