Jew

noun

ˈjü 

1

: a person belonging to a continuation through descent or conversion of the ancient Jewish people

2

: one whose religion is Judaism

3

a

: a member of the tribe of Judah

b

: israelite

4

: a member of a nation existing in Palestine from the sixth century b.c. to the first century a.d.

Usage of Jew and Jewish

The noun Jew is commonly used by people who identify as such, often as a deeply meaningful designation. However, use of the term by those who are not Jewish in generalizations about Jewish people, and especially in generalizations about Jewish people that draw on stereotypes, is highly offensive. Adjectival use by those who are not Jewish is also commonly considered offensive; Jewish is used before nouns instead.

my Jewish neighbor

Examples of Jew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Zelensky, as a Russian-speaking Jew, has expressed some discomfort with the extensive honoring of Bandera and Shukhevych. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 June 2026

Ernst Baerwald was a German Jew (and cousin of Albert Einstein) who was an accomplished musician and a businessman in Japan. — Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 17 June 2026

Almost instantly, an anecdote popped into my head that had been told to me decades earlier by a dear friend—a German Jew who had been born in Berlin early in the twentieth century. — Literary Hub, 17 June 2026

Jung has been widely understood as representing the Aryanization of psychoanalysis, in contrast with its founder, Sigmund Freud, a Jew who was forced to flee his native Vienna for London after the Anschluss in 1938. — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French ju, jeu, from Latin Judaeus, from Greek Ioudaios, from Hebrew Yĕhūdhī, from Yĕhūdhāh Judah, Jewish kingdom

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Jew

• Jew's harp

Rhymes for Jew

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

Jew

noun

ˈjü 

1

: one of the ancient Hebrews or a descendant of the ancient Hebrews

2

: one whose religion is Judaism

Jewish

ˈjü-ish

adjective