Hebrew

noun

He·​brew ˈhē-(ˌ)brü 

1

a

: the Semitic language of the ancient Hebrews

b

: any of various later forms of this language

2

: a member of or descendant from one of a group of northern Semitic peoples including the Israelites

especially : israelite

Hebrew adjective

Examples of Hebrew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 24 books comprising the entire Hebrew Bible cover a wide range of topics in history, law, poetry, wisdom, and theology. —Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

The one-of-a-kind siddur features bright colors, bold text and an amalgam of Hebrew, English, Russian and Ladino prayers, as well as meditations on healing and recovery and poems by individuals currently or formerly in custody at Rikers. —Marla Brown Fogelman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025

Weiss is founding rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale in the Bronx and a longtime activist for Jewish causes and human rights. —Avi Weiss, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025

There’s the Afro-Asiatic family of languages spoken in northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of Western Asia, including Egyptian and Somali, plus Semitic languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Aramaic. —Martha Barnette august 6, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Ebreu, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin Hebraeus, from Latin, adjective, from Greek Hebraios, from Aramaic ʽEbrai

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Hebrew

• Late Hebrew
• Modern Hebrew
• Rabbinic Hebrew

Kids Definition

Hebrew

noun

He·​brew ˈhē-(ˌ)brü 

1

: a member of one of a group of northern Semitic peoples including the Israelites

especially : israelite

2

: the Semitic language of the Hebrews

Hebraic

hi-ˈbrā-ik

adjective

Hebrew adjective