Zionism

[zahy-uh-niz-uhm]

noun

1. a worldwide Jewish movement that resulted in the establishment and development of the state of Israel and that now supports the state of Israel as a Jewish homeland.

Zionism

/ ˈzaɪəˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. a political movement for the establishment and support of a national homeland for Jews in Palestine, now concerned chiefly with the development of the modern state of Israel

2. a policy or movement for Jews to return to Palestine from the Diaspora

Zionism

1. The belief that Jews (see also Jews) should have their own nation; Jewish nationalism. Zionism gained much support among Jews and others in the early twentieth century, and the hoped-for nation was established in the late 1940s in Palestine, as the state of Israel. Zionism is opposed by most Arabs. (See Arab-Israeli conflict.)

Other Word Forms

• Zionist noun
• Zionistic adjective
• Zionite noun
• anti-Zionism noun
• anti-Zionist noun
• non-Zionist noun
• pro-Zionism noun
• pro-Zionist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Zionism¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; Zion + -ism

Example Sentences

The British tradition of Christian Zionism laid the foundation for the Balfour Declaration, and eventually the state of Israel.

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The General Assembly adopted Resolution 3379, declaring that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.”

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Lineker left the BBC sooner than planned in May 2025 after sharing a social media post about Zionism that included an illustration of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic insult.

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More recently, two years after the bloody Hamas attack on Israel, supporters of Palestinians disrupted a commemoration at Pomona College, warning that “Zionism is a death cult that must be dealt with accordingly.”

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When British officials exclude peaceful supporters of an Israeli team rather than confront those who threaten them, the government revives the dynamic Zionism sought to overcome.

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