Zionist entity
- noun
- Slur
:
entidad sionista
- The politician repeatedly referred to Israel as the Zionist entity in his speech.
Examples
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International organizations have condemned the use of the term Zionist entity as inflammatory.
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Many critics refer to Israel as a Zionist entity.
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Discussions about the role of the Zionist entity in regional politics are often contentious.
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The Zionist entity has faced numerous challenges since its establishment.
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Discussions about the role of the Zionist entity in regional politics are often contentious.
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International organizations have condemned the use of the term Zionist entity as inflammatory.
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The politician repeatedly referred to Israel as the Zionist entity in his speech.
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'Zionist' (relating to Zionism) and 'entity' (a thing that exists) can infer the phrase refers to something associated with Zionism — e.g., a state or organization — so the basic referential meaning is compositional. However, the strongly derogatory or political use of 'Zionist entity' to mean 'Israel' and convey hostility is a pragmatic/ideological nuance not predictable from the literal constituents, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Zionist entity began as a political phrase used by people who refused to call Israel by name. They used Zionist, meaning the Jewish political movement, and entity, a neutral word for a state, to avoid saying it was a normal country, so today the phrase is used in a 'hostile' or 'insulting' way.
