Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

anti-semitism

/ˌæntɪˈsɛmɪˌtɪzəm/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.44 in modern English

Syllables
an-ti-semitism
IPA
/ˌæntɪˈsɛmɪˌtɪzəm/
16
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Prejudice, discrimination or hostility directed against any Semitic people (ancient or modern), such as Samaritans, Palestinians, Arabs or Assyrians.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Alternative letter-case form of anti-Semitism.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

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.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: Antisemitismus

Usage

Inflected Forms

Phrases

anti-semite anti-semitical anti-Semitically anti-semitic anti-shemite anti-shemitical anti-shemitically anti-shemitic

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce anti-semitism?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌæntɪˈsɛmɪˌtɪzəm/.
What does anti-semitism mean?
Prejudice, discrimination, hostility or political or religious opposition directed against ethnic or religious Jews or against Judaism; antijudaism; judeophobia.
Where does anti-semitism come from?
It is traced to German.

How to pronounce anti-semitism

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “anti-semitism”.
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