gentile
gentile — noun
- gentilesingular
- gentilesplural
1. a person whose background or faith lies outside the Jewish tradition — someone w
a person whose background or faith lies outside the Jewish tradition — someone who does not follow Judaism or belong to the Jewish people by birth or by choice
The rabbi welcomed both Jewish and gentile neighbours to the community dinner.
contrast with 'Jewish' in the same sentence
David grew up in a gentile family and later studied Hebrew as an adult.
collocation: gentile family
The museum guide explained the festival so that gentile visitors could understand the traditions.
Fatima examined how Jewish and gentile communities traded together in medieval Spanish markets.
- Jew
a person of Jewish faith or ancestry
- Jewish person
the direct opposite in religious or ethnic identity
文法句型
gentile as a countable noun
the gentile community
用法筆記
Often capitalised ('Gentile') in formal or religious writing. The term is common in interfaith contexts where the distinction between Jewish and non-Jewish identity matters. Some speakers find it neutral, while others perceive it as othering — in everyday conversation 'non-Jewish' is often preferred.
常見錯誤
2. someone who follows a different religion from the speaker — a term used inside c
someone who follows a different religion from the speaker — a term used inside certain faith communities, most commonly among Mormons and Hindus, to refer to people of other beliefs
In Mormon communities, the word 'gentile' means anyone outside the LDS Church.
Mormon-specific usage of 'gentile'
Raj noticed that his Mormon neighbours called non-members gentiles.
The Hindu priest said their tradition uses 'gentile' for people of other faiths.
- non-member
the preferred neutral term within Mormon contexts
- outsider
more general, less religiously specific
- member
someone who belongs to the faith community in question
- co-religionist
formal term for a person who shares the same religion
文法句型
gentile as a term used by an in-group
用法筆記
This sense is much less common than sense 1 and is almost entirely restricted to in-group speech within Mormon (LDS) and some Hindu communities. Learners will rarely encounter it outside these settings.
常見錯誤
gentile — adjective
- gentilepositive
- gentilercomparative
- gentilestsuperlative
1. describing a person, community, custom, or thing that is not connected to the Je
describing a person, community, custom, or thing that is not connected to the Jewish religion or the Jewish people by faith or ancestry
The course covered both Jewish and gentile perspectives on that era.
collocation: gentile perspectives
Elena grew up in a gentile neighbourhood and learned about Jewish holidays at university.
Early Christians spread their message among the gentile population of the Roman Empire.
Many Jewish traditions are unfamiliar to the broader gentile world.
- non-Jewish
more common in everyday speech, avoids the capitalised/formal tone of 'gentile'
- Jewish
relating to the Jewish people or faith
文法句型
gentile + noun (community, world, neighbour, family)
用法筆記
Primarily used in writing about religion, history, or cultural identity. In conversation, 'non-Jewish' is more frequent and avoids any potential for offence.