Standard Lemma guide

Semite

noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈsiː.maɪt/
  • UK: /ˈsɛm.aɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈsɛm.aɪt/
  • pin-pen-merger: /ˈsɪm.aɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: S EH1 M AY0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A member of a modern people that speak a Semitic language.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia and East Africa such as the Akkadians, Assyrians, Arameans, Phoenicians, Canaanites, Hebrews, Arabs, or Aksumites.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A descendant of any of these peoples.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A descendant of the biblical Patriarch Shem.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A Jew.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, sometimes

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

of or relating to or characteristic of Semites

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Semite peoples

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Semitic

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a member of a group of Semitic-speaking peoples of the Middle East and northern Africa

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: White, White person, Caucasian

Narrower terms: Babylonian, Chaldean, Chaldaean, Chaldee, Assyrian, Phoenician, Arab, Arabian, Aramean, Aramaean, Canaanite

History

Etymology

From Sem, Shem + -ite, from Late Latin Sēm, from Ancient Greek Σήμ (Sḗm), from Biblical Hebrew שם (šēm). Compare German Semit, New Latin Sēmīta, French sémite.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: Semita — member of any of a number of ancient peoples
  • Finnish: seemiläinen — member of any of a number of ancient peoples
  • Icelandic: semíti — member of any of a number of ancient peoples
  • Irish: Seimíteach — member of any of a number of ancient peoples
  • Polish: Semita — member of any of a number of ancient peoples
  • Polish: Semitka — member of any of a number of ancient peoples
  • Portuguese: semita — member of any of a number of ancient peoples
  • Arabic: سَامِيّ (sāmiyy) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Arabic: سَامِيَّة (sāmiyya) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Armenian: սեմիտ (semit) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Chinese Mandarin: 閃米特人 /闪米特人 (Shǎnmǐtè-rén) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Czech: Semita — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Dutch: Semiet — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Finnish: seemiläinen — descendant of any of these peoples
  • French: sémite — descendant of any of these peoples
  • German: Semit — descendant of any of these peoples
  • German: Semitin — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Hebrew: שמי (shémi) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Hebrew: שמית (shémit) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Icelandic: semíti — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Irish: Seimíteach — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Italian: semita — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Japanese: セム (Semu) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Japanese: セム族の人 (Semu-zoku-no hito) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Kazakh: семит (semit) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Polish: Semita — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Polish: Semitka — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Portuguese: semita — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Russian: семи́т (semít) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Russian: семи́тка (semítka) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Spanish: semita — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Ukrainian: семі́т (semít) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Ukrainian: семі́тка (semítka) — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Volapük: semitan — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Volapük: hisemitan — descendant of any of these peoples
  • Volapük: jisemitan — descendant of any of these peoples