Israeli

American  

[iz-rey-lee] / ɪzˈreɪ li /

noun

plural

Israelis,

plural

Israeli

1. a native or inhabitant of modern Israel.

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adjective

1. of or relating to modern Israel or its inhabitants.

Israeli British  

/ ɪzˈreɪlɪ /

noun

1. a citizen or inhabitant of the state of Israel

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the state of Israel or its inhabitants

Other Word Forms

• anti-Israeli noun
• pro-Israeli noun

Etymology

Origin of Israeli

First recorded in 1945–50; from Hebrew yisrāʿēlī, equivalent to Yisrā'ēl + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; Israel

Example Sentences

Direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials are set to be held in the US later - the first such negotiations in decades.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Tuesday's meeting in Washington -- the first such in-person talks since 1993 -- will be mediated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and include the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The vast majority surveyed said they believed neither Iran nor Hezbollah in Lebanon had been severely weakened by the recent US and Israeli bombardment.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Israeli bonds comprise far less than 1% of the fund’s assets and have at times provided a greater yield per bond than U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Zuhair was Palestinian like us, and the soldiers were Israeli, but it seemed they wanted the same thing.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat