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Glite Dictionary
Jew-ish

Jew-ish

9.5
From a Jewish family or culture but not following the religion fully
  • adjective
  • /ˈdʒuːɪʃ/
  • Informal
translation icon : judío
  • He identifies as Jew-ish because he celebrates some holidays while not strictly following the religious practices.

Examples

  • He identifies as Jew-ish because he celebrates some holidays but doesn't follow the religion strictly.

  • She considers herself Jew-ish but doesn't practice the religion.

  • Many of her childhood traditions were Jew-ish, mixing Hanukkah with other cultural influences.

  • My friends say my cooking is Jew-ish, since I love bagels but don't keep kosher.

  • His Jew-ish heritage influences his art.

  • Many of her childhood customs were Jew-ish, blending Hanukkah traditions with influences from other cultures.

  • My friends say my cooking is Jew-ish, as I enjoy bagels and other Jewish foods without adhering to kosher rules.

How Jewish

Jewish
∞ 2.6
Jew-ish
  • Informal
9.5

Surface Forms

Jew-ish positive

Morphology

Jew-ish = Jew (transparent) = Jew + ish

Formed productively from the noun 'Jew' plus the approximate/adjectival suffix '-ish', meaning 'somewhat' or 'approximately' Jewish.

Etymology

Jew-ish is made of Jew and the little ending -ish, which means 'somewhat' or 'like' and appears in words like greenish or in speech as five-ish ('around five'). So Jew-ish means 'somewhat Jewish' — someone who follows some Jewish traditions or shares Jewish culture but is not fully part of the religion or community.