Israelite

1 of 2

noun

Is·​ra·​el·​ite ˈiz-r(ē-)ə-ˌlīt How to pronounce Israelite (audio)
: a descendant of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob
specifically : a native or inhabitant of the ancient northern kingdom of Israel

Israelite

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to Israel or to the Israelites

Examples of Israelite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Little Wing premiere Paramount+ hosted a tastemaker screening in Los Angeles on Monday for its original film Little Wing, with stars Brooklynn Prince, Che Tafari, Simon Khan, Parker Hall, Jonathan Togo and director Dean Israelite. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Produced by media company Awesomeness, Little Wing is directed by Dean Israelite, best known for 2017’s Power Rangers movie, and co-written by Flight screenwriter John Gatins as well as Susan Orlean. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 Preceding the awards, during the three-day conference, Peter Paul & Mary member Noel Paul Stookey, Grammy winner Lucy Kalantari and National Music Publishers Association CEO David Israelite gave keynote addresses, while Segarra participated in a Q&A with NPR’s Ann Powers. Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Feb. 2024 It was likely crafted by either an Israelite or a Phoenician — a people who occupied a nearby part of the Levant. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 In it, Israelite discussed the successes of the Music Modernization Act, the new UMG TikTok licensing feud, the viability of artificial intelligence regulation, and the more. Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 2 Feb. 2024 Some Black Hebrew Israelite sects are controversial and have been known to adopt extremist and antisemitic ideology, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 12 Dec. 2023 The Anti-Defamation League said that the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge is in fact an extremist organization that is anti-Israel. Luke Barr, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2023 Although several people were inside the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge on Friday evening — including four children between the ages of 7 months and 3 years — no one was injured, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) said in a statement to The Washington Post. Brittany Shammas, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Israelite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Late Latin Israelita, from Greek Israēlitēs, from Israēl

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Israelite was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Israelite

Cite this Entry

“Israelite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Israelite. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Israelite

noun
Is·​ra·​el·​ite
ˈiz-r(ē-)ə-ˌlīt
: a descendant of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob
especially : a person born or living in the ancient kingdom of Israel
Israelite adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Israelite

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!