Israeli

1 of 2

adjective

Is·​rae·​li iz-ˈrā-lē How to pronounce Israeli (audio)
 also  ˌiz-rə-ˈā-lē
: of or relating to the people or the republic of Israel

Israeli

2 of 2

noun

plural Israelis also Israeli
: a native or inhabitant of the republic of Israel

Examples of Israeli in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Nearly 600 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza this week. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2025 And Israeli co-star Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen, has come scrutiny for her remarks regarding the Gaza conflict. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
The native Israeli has defended the country in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025 Hamas was trying to retrofit unexploded Israeli ordinance from the war for its own weapons stockpiles, according to Tamir Heyman, the head of Israel's leading national security think tank, the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies. Daniel Estrin, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Israeli

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Modern Hebrew yiśrĕ'ēlī, from Hebrew, Israelite, noun & adjective, from Yiśrā'ēl

First Known Use

Adjective

1948, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Israeli was in 1948

Cite this Entry

“Israeli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Israeli. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

Israeli

adjective
Is·​rae·​li
iz-ˈrā-lē
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the republic of Israel or its people
Israeli noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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