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
During a press briefing Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce deflected questions about the allegations against Levi and lifting the sanctions, instead deferring to the Israeli government to investigate. Emily Chang, ABC News, 31 July 2025 The war in Gaza began with Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel in which roughly 1,200 people were killed and another 251 were abducted, Israeli officials reported. Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
Noun
Going forward, Strasberg would like 8400 to play a major role in increasing the number of very successful Israeli HealthTech startups. Gil Press, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025 The Indian pharmaceutical company plans to launch its generic version of the drug in 87 countries by 2026, CEO Erez Israeli said. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 24 July 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 6 Aug. 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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