Se·mit·ic
sə-ˈmi-tik 
also
-ˈme-
: any or all of the Semitic languages
Examples of Semitic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Member of Parliament Yassine Mami has pointed out that Hannibal, who was born in 247 BC in Carthage — now known as Tunis, the Tunisian capital — was of West Asian Semitic origin.
—
Variety,
NBC News,
11 Dec. 2023
Most would have begun the list with the black, white, and yellow races, and many would have included a Semitic race (including Jews and Arabs), an American Indian race, and more.
—
Kwame Anthony Appiah,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Mar. 2015
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Noun
The origin before Greek is likely from a Semitic language, possibly Hebrew gōrāl or Phoenician, though the exact root is uncertain.
—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Member of Parliament Yassine Mami has pointed out that Hannibal, who was born in 247 BC in Carthage — now known as Tunis, the Tunisian capital — was of West Asian Semitic origin.
—
Variety,
NBC News,
11 Dec. 2023
Most would have begun the list with the black, white, and yellow races, and many would have included a Semitic race (including Jews and Arabs), an American Indian race, and more.
—
Kwame Anthony Appiah,
Foreign Affairs,
1 Mar. 2015
Cite this Entry
“Semitic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Semitic. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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