Israeli

The word “Israeli” means a person from Israel or of Israeli citizenship. In plain terms, the word for people, culture, or things belonging to the country of Israel.

“Israeli” is pronounced ihz-RAY-lee (/ɪzˈɹeɪli/ in IPA).

Here is “Israeli” used in a sentence: “Several Israelis attended the international conference.”

Depending on how it is used, “Israeli” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “Israeli” comes from Hebrew. From Hebrew yisraeli, formed from Israel plus the adjective suffix -i.

“Israeli” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Israeli” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person from Israel or of Israeli citizenship.

An Israeli is a citizen of the modern State of Israel, founded in 1948. An Israelite is a member of the ancient Hebrew people described in the Bible, the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel. One term is about present-day nationality, the other about an ancient people, separated by thousands of years.

'Israeli' is a nationality — anyone holding citizenship of Israel, whatever their faith or background. 'Jewish' describes an ethnic and religious identity that spans the world. Many Israelis are Jewish, but not all; Israel also has Arab, Christian, and other citizens, and most Jewish people live outside Israel.

Israeli is a nationality, defined by citizenship of the State of Israel rather than by ethnic origin. Israeli citizens come from many backgrounds, including Jewish, Arab, Druze, and others. It describes the country a person belongs to, not their ancestry, religion, or ethnic group.