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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
The terrorist group fired five projectiles from within Lebanon into Israel, the Israeli military said, adding that most were intercepted by Israel’s missile defense system while one landed in an open area. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2024 Thousands have died in Lebanon from Israeli air strikes, which have hit across the south, in Beirut, and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2024
Noun
On Monday, a drone fired launched Lebanon managed to get through Israeli’s air defences and strike Netanyahu’s beach house in the coastal city of Caesarea, some 50 miles from the border of Lebanon. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024 The report states that according to U.S. signals intelligence, the Israeli Air Force conducted a large exercise involving intelligence planes and likely fighter jets trained for a possible attack against Iran. Barak Ravid, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near Israeli

Cite this Entry

“Israeli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Israeli. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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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