ENGLISH
REFERENCE

jewish

adj.
A2 Elementary US //ˈdʒuɪʃ// jew·ish Archaic Informal Vulgar

adj. relating to the people, religion, or culture of Judaism.

adj. pertaining to the ethnic, religious, or cultural identity of the Jewish people. Typically used to describe individuals, communities, or traditions associated with Judaism.


SIMPLE

They are celebrating a Jewish holiday this week.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community center offers classes on Jewish history and traditional cooking.

COMPLEX

Scholars often discuss the diverse ways in which Jewish identity is expressed across different geographical regions and historical periods.

Synonyms
Origin

From Jew + -ish. Compare Middle English Judewissh (“Jewish”), Old English Iūdēisċ (“Jewish”), Dutch joodsch, joods (“Jewish”), German jüdisch (“Jewish”), Danish jødisk (“Jewish”), Swedish judisk (“Jewish”), Gothic 𐌾𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌺𐍃 (judaiwisks, “Jewish”). See also Yiddish.

Usage

Always capitalized. When referring to people, it is generally preferred as an adjective (e.g., 'Jewish people') rather than a collective noun.

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