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
Members of Switzerland's silver medal-winning under-23 fencing team turned their backs to the Israeli gold medalists during the medal ceremony while Israel's national anthem played. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2025 The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office did not deny the veracity of the article, instead asserting that Israel’s actions have delayed Iran’s nuclear program. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
One shining example of merging strategies and tactics is how the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) reduced their combat Case Fatality Rate (CFR) from 15 percent in Lebanon in 2006 to 6.5 percent in Gaza in 2024. George Bradt, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 Now, Hamas is weakened, partially by Israeli Defense Forces, partially by the desperation of the Gazans Hamas claims to serve. Michael Tobin, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 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 1 May. 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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