Jewish

American  

[joo-ish] / ˈdʒu ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Jews or Judaism.

   Jewish customs.

2. Informal. Yiddish.

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noun

1. Informal. Yiddish.

Jewish British  

/ ˈdʒuːɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Jews

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noun

1. a less common word for Yiddish

Other Word Forms

• Jewishly adverb
• Jewishness noun
• anti-Jewish adjective
• half-Jewish adjective
• non-Jewish adjective
• pre-Jewish adjective
• pro-Jewish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Jewish

1540–50; Jew + -ish ¹; compare Old English iudēisc < Late Latin iudē ( us ) Jew + Old English -isc -ish ¹

Compare meaning

How does jewish compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• goyish vs. Jewish

Example Sentences

"There's a Jewish playwright who survived the Holocaust called Elie Weisel," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

A man arrested over an arson attack on Jewish charity-owned ambulances in north London last month has been released on bail, the Metropolitan Police has said.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

At the Western Wall, dozens of Jewish worshippers prayed in the late morning.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Antisemitism includes Holocaust denial, conspiracy theories about Jewish power and acts of exclusion or violence targeting Jewish people.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Around us are family, friends, and neighbors who gave up being Jewish in the hope that they wouldn’t stand out as different.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar