israel

IPA/ˈɪzreɪl/
KK[ˈɪzriəl]IPA/ˈɪzreɪl/

israel — noun

1. a country in the Middle East, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bor

1.nounB1
Definition

a country in the Middle East, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt

Example

Adina is planning a trip to Israel next spring to visit Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

travel to [country] + visit cities

The company exports medical equipment to Israel and several other Middle Eastern markets.

export to [country] as trade partner

Common collocations
  • state of Israel
  • government of Israel
  • citizen of Israel
  • visit Israel
  • travel to Israel

Grammar Patterns

Israel + verb

Usage Note

Used as a proper noun; takes a singular verb. The adjective form is ‘Israeli’ (e.g., ‘Israeli culture’, ‘the Israeli government’).

Common Mistakes

I want to visit Israelian.
I want to visit Israel.
‘Israel’ is the country name; the adjective is ‘Israeli’, not ‘Israelian’.
Israel are a country in Asia.
Israel is a country in Asia.
Country names take singular verbs.

israel — idiom

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While Israel (noun/1) is the standard name for the modern country, three related terms deserve clarification. ‘Palestine’ refers historically to the broader geographical region (the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River) and is also the name used for the Palestinian territories. ‘The Holy Land’ is a religious and cultural term for the region sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — it covers parts of modern Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Jordan, but is not a political or administrative name. ‘Zion’ is a poetic or religious name for Jerusalem or the land of Israel, often used in liturgical and nationalist contexts (‘the children of Zion’), but it is avoided in neutral geopolitical writing. For everyday reference to the modern country, ‘Israel’ is the correct and neutral choice.

Palestine ↗the Holy LandZion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • state of Israel
  • people of Israel
  • government of Israel
  • history of Israel
  • land of Israel

Phrases

  • the State of Israel
  • modern Israel
  • ancient Israel
  • the people of Israel

Prepositions

  • in Israel
  • to Israel
  • from Israel
  • of Israel

Etymology

HebrewGreekLatinEnglish

The name ‘Israel’ comes from the Hebrew ‘Yisra’el’ (יִשְׂרָאֵל), which appears in the Biblical story of the patriarch Jacob. According to the Book of Genesis, Jacob wrestled with a divine being and was given the name Israel, meaning ‘he who struggles with God’ or ‘God strives’. The name was then used for his descendants, the twelve tribes, and later for the kingdom they formed. The modern country adopted the name in 1948, connecting it to this ancient heritage.