anti-Zionism

noun

an·​ti-Zi·​on·​ism ˌan-tē-ˈzī-ə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce anti-Zionism (audio)
ˌan-tī-
: opposition to the establishment or support of the state of Israel : opposition to Zionism
The author also suffers from a reflexive anti-Zionism that, fortunately, mars only a few portions of his text.Randall Rothenberg
anti-Zionist adjective
One week later two orthodox Jews were badly beaten one block from the UC Berkeley campus, and anti-Zionist graffiti appeared on sidewalks and buildings near the school. Karen Alexander
anti-Zionist noun
Hans Morgenthau was an anti-Zionist … until the 1967 war, when his pride in Israel's triumph led him gradually to redefine his Jewish identity. Monroe K. Spears

Examples of anti-Zionism 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.
The reason those examples are provided is explicitly not because all criticism of Israel is antisemitic—as the definition takes pains to point out twice—but because there are those who use their anti-Zionism as an excuse to target Jewish people and/or institutions. Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025 That the modern form of antisemitism is anti-Zionism, that the irrational obsessive hate of Israel is antisemitism. Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2025 Additionally, multiple Chicago aldermen have been outspoken in their anti-Zionism since Oct. 7, 2023. Jennifer Guzman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2025 This should be anathema to a Jewish community that defended freedom of expression during McCarthyism and the Vietnam War but now seems inclined to outlaw anti-Zionism. Walter Ruby, Baltimore Sun, 25 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for anti-Zionism

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti-Zionism was in 1898

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anti-Zionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-Zionism. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!