non-jewish

IPA/ˌnɒnˈdʒuː.ɪʃ/
IPA/ˌnɑːnˈdʒuː.ɪʃ/

non-jewish — adjective

1. describing people who are not part of the Jewish faith or ethnic group, or thing

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing people who are not part of the Jewish faith or ethnic group, or things that are not connected with Jewish traditions or culture

Example

Several non-Jewish families joined their Jewish neighbours for a community Hanukkah celebration.

collocation: non-Jewish + families / neighbours

The novel follows a non-Jewish nurse who hides Jewish children in her village during the war.

Common collocations
  • non-Jewish families
  • non-Jewish students
  • non-Jewish neighbours
  • non-Jewish people
  • non-Jewish community
  • non-Jewish artists
  • non-Jewish owner
Synonyms
  • gentile

    more formal or religious in tone; less frequent in daily conversation

  • non-Hebrew

    rare; mostly found in ancient historical or linguistic contexts

Antonyms
  • Jewish

    the direct opposite; belonging to the Jewish faith or ethnic group

Usage Note

Non-Jewish is the standard neutral term. The word 'gentile' shares the same basic meaning but is less common in everyday speech and can carry a more religious or historical tone.

Common Mistakes

He is non-Jewish, so he must be against Jewish people.
He is non-Jewish, meaning he simply does not belong to the Jewish faith.
Non-Jewish is a neutral description, not a term of hostility. Do not confuse with 'anti-Semitic.', which means prejudice against Jewish people.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Non-Jewish is the most widely used and neutral term for someone or something not belonging to the Jewish faith or ethnic group. 'Gentile' shares the same core meaning but is noticeably more formal or religious in tone; you are far more likely to find it in a theological textbook or biblical translation than in a casual chat about a neighbour. 'Non-Hebrew' is extremely rare and appears almost exclusively in discussions of ancient Semitic languages or historical eras before the term 'Jew' became standard. 'Goy' (from Yiddish) is an informal word for a non-Jewish person that can carry a dismissive or derogatory edge; learners should avoid using it unless they are confident about its cultural weight. For neutral everyday English, 'non-Jewish' is always the safest and clearest choice.

gentile ↗non-Hebrewgoy

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • Jewish and non-Jewish

Etymology

HebrewLatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by adding the prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not', from Latin 'non') to 'Jewish', which comes from 'Jew' plus the adjective suffix '-ish'. 'Jew' traces through Old French 'giu' and Latin 'Judaeus' to Hebrew 'Yehudi' (יהודי), meaning 'of the tribe of Judah'. First recorded use in English: 1851.