antisemitism

or an·ti-Sem·i·tism

[ an-tee-sem-i-tiz-uhm, an-tahy- ]

noun

1. discrimination against or prejudice or hostility toward Jews.

Spelling Note

The closed and lowercase spelling antisemitism is now the preferred form. Jewish groups have long preferred the single word spelling, and many style guides, including those of major publications, have also adopted it. While Semitic is a current linguistic term for a subfamily of Afroasiatic languages including Akkadian, Arabic, Aramaic, Ethiopic, Hebrew, and Phoenician, the spelling anti-Semite falsely implies prejudice against all of the diverse groups of people who speak any of these languages. However, that is not how antisemite is used. Rather, the “Semite” in antisemitism is a euphemism for “Jew,” meant to lend a scientific air to the racial grouping of all Jewish peoples based on an outdated pseudoscience of race.

Word History and Origins

Origin of antisemitism¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Politicians across Europe decried a “return of antisemitism” after Israeli fans were chased through the streets of Amsterdam.

From BBC

Authorities say Thursday attacks - which caused five people to be hospitalised - were motivated by antisemitism as the fans were sought out across the city.

From BBC

Amsterdam's mayor Femke Halsema said the "war in the Middle East has threatened the peace in our city" and there had been a "terrible outburst of antisemitism".

From BBC

The cult dynamics, racism, antisemitism, violence and other collective sociopathic and pathological behavior are very similar if not almost identical between the two events.

From Salon

Democrats, who make up 20 of the 44 members of the committee, have criticized Republicans as not being serious in their pursuit to combat antisemitism.

From Los Angeles Times