ISRAELITE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

• ISRAELITE (noun)
  The noun ISRAELITE has 2 senses:

1. a native or inhabitant of the ancient kingdom of Israel

2. a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties

  Familiarity information: ISRAELITE used as a noun is rare.

• ISRAELITE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A native or inhabitant of the ancient kingdom of Israel

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Israelite" is a kind of...):

Asian; Asiatic (a native or inhabitant of Asia)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Israelite"):

Samaritan (a member of the people inhabiting Samaria in biblical times)

Holonyms ("Israelite" is a member of...):

Israel (an ancient kingdom of the Hebrew tribes at the southeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea; founded by Saul around 1025 BC and destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BC)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Hebrew; Israelite; Jew

Hypernyms ("Israelite" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Israelite"):

Ashkenazi (a Jew of eastern European or German descent)

Zionist (a Jewish supporter of Zionism)

Zealot (a member of an ancient Jewish sect in Judea in the first century who fought to the death against the Romans and who killed or persecuted Jews who collaborated with the Romans)

Wandering Jew (a legendary Jew condemned to roam the world for mocking Jesus at the Crucifixion)

Sephardi; Sephardic Jew (a Jew who is of Spanish or Portuguese or North African descent)

Sadducee (a member of an ancient Jewish sect around the time of Jesus; opposed to the Pharisees)

Reform Jew (liberal Jew who tries to adapt all aspects of Judaism to modern circumstances)

Pharisee (a member of an ancient Jewish sect noted for strict obedience to Jewish traditions)

Orthodox Jew (Jew who practices strict observance of Mosaic law)

Levite (a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi (especially the branch that provided male assistants to the temple priests))

hymie; kike; sheeny; yid ((ethnic slur) offensive term for a Jew)

Jewess (a woman who is a Jew)

Essene (a member of an ascetic Jewish sect around the time of Jesus)

Conservative Jew (Jew who keeps some requirements of Mosaic law but adapts others to suit modern circumstances)

Instance hyponyms:

Lot ((Old Testament) nephew of Abraham; God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah but chose to spare Lot and his family who were told to flee without looking back at the destruction)

Christ; Deliverer; Good Shepherd; Jesus; Jesus Christ; Jesus of Nazareth; Redeemer; Savior; Saviour; the Nazarene (a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29))

Holonyms ("Israelite" is a member of...):

Jewry (Jews collectively)

 Context examples 

It was a rude, raw, primeval version of the Jews in Babylon or the Israelites in Egypt.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Jehovah was anthropomorphic because he could address himself to the Jews only in terms of their understanding; so he was conceived as in their own image, as a cloud, a pillar of fire, a tangible, physical something which the mind of the Israelites could grasp.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)