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
The Israeli prime minister's office declined to comment for this story. Emily Rose, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025 In addition, the section will feature the U.S. premiere of Sepideh Farsi’s Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, the Palestinian subject of which was killed in an Israeli air strike earlier this year. Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
The Herald reached out to Palestinian and Israeli officials, including the Israeli Defense Forces, but has yet to receive a response. Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025 Going forward, Strasberg would like 8400 to play a major role in increasing the number of very successful Israeli HealthTech startups. Gil Press, Forbes.com, 27 July 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 21 Aug. 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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