What does "anti-semitism" mean?
Prejudice, discrimination, hostility or political or religious opposition directed against ethnic or religious Jews or against Judaism; antijudaism; judeophobia.
Anti-semitism
/ˌæntɪˈsɛmɪˌtɪzəm/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Prejudice, discrimination, hostility or political or religious opposition directed against ethnic or religious Jews or against Judaism; antijudaism; judeophobia.
- Grammar: anti-semitism is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abomination, anti-semiticism, antipathy, antisemitism.
- Useful contrasts: philo-Semitism, philosemitism, pro-Semitism.
- Usage evidence: Historically, anti-Semitism has ranged from hate speech and discrimination against individual Jewish people to organized pogroms and military attacks on entire Jewish communities.
How to use "anti-semitism"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 Prejudice, discrimination, hostility or political or religious opposition directed against ethnic or religious Jews or against Judaism; antijudaism; judeophobia. countable, uncountable
"Антисемитизмом называется распространение вражды к евреям. Когда проклятая царская монархия доживала свое последнее время, она старалась натравить темных рабочих и крестьян на евреев. Царская полиция в союзе с помещиками и капиталистами устраивала еврейские погромы. Ненависть измученных нуждой рабочих и крестьян помещики и капиталисты старались направить на евреев. И в других странах приходится видеть нередко, что капиталисты разжигают вражду к евреям, чтобы засорить глаза рабочего, чтобы отвлечь их взоры от настоящего врага трудящихся — от капитала."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of anti-Semitism. alt-of, countable, uncountable
- 3 the intense dislike for and prejudice against Jewish people wordnet
- 4 Prejudice, discrimination or hostility directed against any Semitic people (ancient or modern), such as Samaritans, Palestinians, Arabs or Assyrians. countable, nonstandard, often, proscribed, rare, uncountable
"But Israel's policy of anti-semitism against Palestinians was not to the liking of India."
Example
"Historically, anti-Semitism has ranged from hate speech and discrimination against individual Jewish people to organized pogroms and military attacks on entire Jewish communities."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "anti-semitism"?
Common synonyms include: abomination, anti-semiticism, antipathy, antisemitism, apartheid, aversion.
How do you use "anti-semitism" in a sentence?
Historically, anti-Semitism has ranged from hate speech and discrimination against individual Jewish people to organized pogroms and military attacks on entire Jewish communities.
How do you pronounce "anti-semitism"?
Pronounced /ˌæntɪˈsɛmɪˌtɪzəm/.
Etymology
From German Antisemitismus. It is typically said that German political agitator Wilhelm Marr invented the term to replace Judenhaß (literally “Jew-hatred”) to make hatred of the Jews seem rational and sanctioned by scientific knowledge; Marr founded the Antisemitenliga ("Anti-Semites' League") in 1879, used the terms Semitismus and Antisemiten in his 1879 and 1880 pamphlets Der Sieg des Judenthums über das Germanenthum and Der Weg zum Siege des Germanenthums über das Judenthum, and used Antisemitismus at least as early as his 1885 pamphlet Lessing contra Sem. The related term antisemitisch (“anti-semitic”) was first used in 1860, by Jewish scholar Moritz Steinschneider. See Wikipedia's article on the etymology and usage of the term. The term is superficially/synchronically equivalent to anti- + Semitism (see Semite), for which reason it is rarely extended to cover prejudice against any Semitic people, or against adherents of any of the religions that originated among the Semitic peoples (the Abrahamic religions). See the usage notes.