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is a euphemism for “Jew,” meant to lend a scientific air to the racial grouping of all Jewish peoples based on an outdated pseudoscience of race.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

He was referring to a high-profile case of antisemitism in France just over a century ago.

From BBC

Netanyahu and many other Israeli officials accused the ICC of antisemitism.

From Salon

As chair of the House of Representatives’ Republican conference, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York appointed herself an official alarmist about antisemitism by spearheading a Dec. 5, 2023, committee hearing on what she called “the rot of antisemitism” in student protests against the war in Gaza.

From Salon

Geert Wilders, whose far-right Freedom Party is the biggest of the four parties that make up the Dutch coalition government, has called for the deportation of dual nationals guilty of antisemitism.

From BBC

Rabbi van de Kamp has told the BBC he is concerned that antisemitism is being politicised to further Islamophobic agendas.

From BBC