Judaism

noun

Ju·​da·​ism ˈjü-dē-ˌi-zəm  ˈjü-də-  ˈjü-(ˌ)dā- 

 British also  ˈjü-ˌdi-zəm

1

: a religion developed among the ancient Hebrews and characterized by belief in one transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions

2

: the cultural, social, and religious beliefs and practices of the Jews

3

: conformity to Jewish rites, ceremonies, and practices

4

: the whole body of Jews : the Jewish people

Examples of Judaism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What is Hanukkah? Hanukkah — often referred to as the festival of lights — reaffirms the ideals of Judaism, commemorating in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem through a Jewish festival by lighting candles over the span of eight days, according to brittanica.com. —Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Dec. 2024

Unlike Christmas for Christians, Hanukkah does not hold a central place in religious practice and is not even widely considered among the top five major holidays in Judaism. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Dec. 2024

Less than one in five characters mentioned Judaism in their dialogue. —William Earl, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024

Only 18 percent of Jewish characters reference their Judaism, the study finds. —Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Judaism

• anti-Judaism
• Conservative Judaism
• Orthodox Judaism
• Reform Judaism

Kids Definition

Judaism

noun

Ju·​da·​ism ˈjüd-ə-ˌiz-əm  ˈjüd-ē- 

1

: a religion developed among the ancient Hebrews that stresses belief in one God and faithfulness to the laws of the Torah

2

: the beliefs and practices of the Jews

Judaic

jü-ˈdā-ik

adjective