Philistines

1. In the Old Testament, enemies of the Israelites in their settlement in the Promised Land. (See David and Samson.)

A “philistine” has come to mean a person who is ignorant and uncultured.

Example Sentences

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.

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These Super Glue subversives have been derided as publicity-seeking Philistines and hailed as martyrs for a vital cause.

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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.

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Writer Charles Lamb worked there for 33 years, and complained that “I grow ominously tired of official confinement. Thirty years have I served the Philistines, and my neck is not subdued to the yoke.”

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“This is a reactionary community filled with people who drive in the same entitled way they feel about themselves,” said Steven Gaines, the author of “Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons.”

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