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
Following Trump's decision to intervene in Israel's war with Iran by launching strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the U.S. president and Israeli prime minister appear more aligned than ever. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025 Adding to the Israeli public pressure to end the war is the large number of soldiers, 20, killed in Gaza in the past month alone. James Hider, NPR, 7 July 2025
Noun
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) for comment. Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025 The National Security Council, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, and the Israeli Embassy in Washington did not confirm the reports when asked by CNN and Reuters. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 May 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 14 Jul. 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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