Philistines
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A “philistine” has come to mean a person who is ignorant and uncultured.
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.
Meanwhile, the Israelites face threats from the rival army of Philistines and the menacing scavenger tribe of Amalekites.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025
The impoverished Palestinian territory was an important trading post for civilisations as far back as the ancient Egyptians and the Philistines depicted in the Bible, through the Roman empire and the crusades.
From Reuters • Jul. 24, 2023
We have Egyptian and other records of these migrants, some specifically mentioning the Philistines by name.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
The Goliaths from Dallas were there — they even brought their own logo-emblazoned benches to go with the throngs of blue-clad Philistines in the stands.
From Washington Times • Dec. 13, 2021
Refers to the Bible story in which Samson captured foxes, tied torches to their tails, and let them burn the fields of the Philistines.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
