Israel
[ iz-ree-uh l, -rey- ]
/ ˈɪz ri əl, -reɪ- /
noun
a republic in SW Asia, on the Mediterranean: formed as a Jewish state May 1948. 7984 sq. mi. (20,679 sq. km). Capital: Jerusalem.
the people traditionally descended from Jacob; the Hebrew or Jewish people.
a name given to Jacob after he had wrestled with the angel. Gen. 32:28.
the northern kingdom of the Hebrews, including 10 of the 12 tribes, sometimes called by the name of the chief tribe, Ephraim. Capital: Samaria.
a group considered by its members or by others as God's chosen people.
a male given name.
Origin of Israel
before 1000; Middle English, Old English < Latin
Isrāēl < Greek
Isrāḗl < Hebrew
Yisrā'ēl literally, God perseveres
OTHER WORDS FROM Israel
pro-Is·ra·el, adjectiveExample sentences from the Web for israel
British Dictionary definitions for israel
Israel
/ (ˈɪzreɪəl, -rɪəl) /
noun
a republic in SW Asia, on the Mediterranean Sea: established in 1948, in the former British mandate of Palestine, as a primarily Jewish state; 8 disputes with Arab neighbours (who did not recognize the state of Israel), erupted into full-scale wars in 1948, 1956, 1967 (the Six Day War), and 1973 (the Yom Kippur War). In 1993 Israel agreed to grant autonomous status to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, according to the terms of a peace agreement with the PLO. Official languages: Hebrew and Arabic. Religion: Jewish majority, Muslim and Christian minorities. Currency: shekel. Capital: Jerusalem (international recognition withheld as East Jerusalem was annexed (1967) by Israel: UN recognized capital: Tel Aviv). Pop: 7 707 042 (2013 est). Area (including Golan Heights and East Jerusalem): 21 946 sq km (8473 sq miles)
- the ancient kingdom of the 12 Hebrew tribes at the SE end of the Mediterranean
- the kingdom in the N part of this region formed by the ten northern tribes of Israel in the 10th century bc and destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 bc
informal
the Jewish community throughout the world
Cultural definitions for israel (1 of 2)
Israel
The name given to Jacob after he wrestled with God. Israel is also the name of the northern kingdom of the Israelites, when their nation was split in two after the death of King Solomon. (See under “World Geography.”)
Cultural definitions for israel (2 of 2)
Israel
Republic in the Middle East, formerly part of Palestine. Israel is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria and Jordan to the east, the Gulf of Aqaba (an arm of the Red Sea) to the south, Egypt (see also Egypt) to the southwest, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Its capital and largest city is Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem).
notes for Israel
The state of Israel, a homeland for
Jews (see also
Jews) worldwide, was proclaimed in 1948. Since then, conflict has arisen because of opposition by the surrounding Arab peoples to the formation of a Jewish state on what they consider Arab territory (
see
Arab-Israeli conflict).
notes for Israel
As a move toward permanent peace between Israel and the Arab states, Israeli
Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar
Sadat met with U. S. President James Earl
Carter in the United States and signed a peace treaty in 1979.
notes for Israel
The United States has been Israel's major supporter, but Israeli settlements on the West Bank strained U.S.-Israel relations.