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
4
: a member of a nation existing in Palestine from the sixth century b.c. to the first century a.d.

Examples of Jew 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.
Zhirinovsky was the son of a Ukrainian Jew, but such was the vicious vaudeville of Russian politics in the nineties. James Verini, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2025 But Brody gave both a physical and emotional performance as a Hungarian Jew who emigrates and gets caught up in the web of the American dream and a nightmare project overseen by a creepy American entrepreneur. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025 Our nation has been active and outspoken in its endeavors to right the wrongs of the Armenian Christian, the Russian Jew, the Irish Home Ruler, the native women of India, the Siberian exile, and the Cuban patriot. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 21 Feb. 2025 Probably her most famous photo, an only-in-New-York moment, depicts a heavily garbed Hasidic Jew who has somehow wandered onto a nudist beach at Jacob Riis Park, in Queens, only to be accosted by a stark-naked posing bodybuilder. Arthur Lubow, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for Jew

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of Jew was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jew. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

Jew

noun
1
: one of the ancient Hebrews or a descendant of the ancient Hebrews
2
: one whose religion is Judaism
Jewish
ˈjü-ish
adjective

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