adj · name · 9 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/səˈmɪt.ɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S AH0 M IH1 T IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to a subdivision of Afroasiatic Semitic languages: Akkadian, Amharic, Arabic, Aramaic, Hebrew, Maltese, Phoenician, Syriac, Tigrigna etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of or pertaining to the Semites; of or pertaining to one or more Semitic peoples.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
For quotations using this term, see Citations:Semitic.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Of or pertaining to the Semites; of or pertaining to one or more Semitic peoples.
Of or pertaining to the descendants of Shem, the eldest of three sons of Noah.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: biblical, lifestyle, religion
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Of or pertaining to the Semites; of or pertaining to one or more Semitic peoples.
Of or pertaining to the Israeli, Jewish, or Hebrew people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Of or pertaining to the Semites; of or pertaining to one or more Semitic peoples.
Of or pertaining to any of the religions which originated among the Semites; Abrahamic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
name
Meaning 6
The Semitic languages in general.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective
Meaning 7
of or relating to or characteristic of Semites
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Semite peoples
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Semite
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective
Meaning 8
of or relating to the group of Semitic languages
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Semitic tongues have a complicated morphology
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
a major branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Narrower terms: Akkadian, Amharic, Ethiopian language, Arabic, Arabic language, Aramaic, Maltese, Maltese language, Malti, Canaanitic, Canaanitic language
History
Etymology
From Semite + -ic (18th century), from German semitisch, from Ancient Greek Σήμ (Sḗm), from the Hebrew שֵׁם (Šēm, “Shem”), the name of the eldest son of Noah in biblical tradition (Genesis 5.32, 6.10, 10.21), considered the forefather of the Semitic peoples. Perhaps derived from Akkadian 𒈬 (šumu, literally “name" or "son”). The word was coined and first applied to the Semitic languages by August Ludwig von Schlözer in 1781.
Across languages
Translations
83 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
semitik
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Amharic:
ሴማዊ
(semawi)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Arabic:
سَامِيّ
(sāmiyy)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Armenian:
սեմական
(semakan)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Belarusian:
семі́цкі
(sjemícki)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Bengali:
সামী
(samī)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Bulgarian:
семи́тски
(semítski)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Catalan:
semític
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Chinese Mandarin:
閃米特 /闪米特
(shǎnmǐtè)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Chinese Mandarin:
閃 /闪
(shǎn)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Czech:
semitský
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Danish:
semitisk
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Dutch:
Semitisch
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Esperanto:
Semida
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Esperanto:
semida
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Esperanto:
Ŝemida
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Esperanto:
ŝemida
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Finnish:
seemiläinen
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
French:
sémitique
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Georgian:
სემიტური
(semiṭuri)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
German:
semitisch
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
German:
schemitisch
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Greek:
σημιτικός
(simitikós)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Hebrew:
שֵׁמִי
(shémi)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Hindi:
सामी
(sāmī)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Hungarian:
sémi
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Icelandic:
semískur
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Ido:
Semida
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Ido:
semida
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Ido:
Semidala
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Ido:
semidala
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Irish:
Seimíteach
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Japanese:
セム
(semu)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Korean:
셈
(sem)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Ladino:
semetiko
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Macedonian:
семитски
(semitski)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Norwegian Bokmål:
semittisk
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Pashto:
سامي
(sāmí)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Iranian Persian:
سامی
(sâmi)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Polish:
semicki
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Portuguese:
semita
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Portuguese:
semítico
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Romanian:
semitic
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Russian:
семи́тский
(semítskij)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Serbo-Croatian:
сѐмӣтскӣ
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Serbo-Croatian:
sèmītskī
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Slovak:
semitský
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Slovene:
semitski
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Spanish:
semítico
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Swedish:
semitisk
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Tajik:
сомӣ
(somi)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Turkish:
Semitik
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Ukrainian:
семі́тський
(semítsʹkyj)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Urdu:
سامی
(sāmī)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Uzbek:
som
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Uzbek:
somiy
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Uzbek:
semitik
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Vietnamese:
Xê-mít
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Yiddish:
סעמיטיש
(semitish)
— pertaining to the Semitic subdivision of Afroasiatic languages
Armenian:
սեմական
(semakan)
— pertaining to the Semites
Bengali:
সামী
(samī)
— pertaining to the Semites
Catalan:
semític
— pertaining to the Semites
Czech:
semitský
— pertaining to the Semites
Finnish:
seemiläinen
— pertaining to the Semites
French:
sémitique
— pertaining to the Semites
German:
semitisch
— pertaining to the Semites
Hindi:
सामी
(sāmī)
— pertaining to the Semites
Icelandic:
semískur
— pertaining to the Semites
Irish:
Seimíteach
— pertaining to the Semites
Polish:
semicki
— pertaining to the Semites
Portuguese:
semita
— pertaining to the Semites
Portuguese:
semítico
— pertaining to the Semites
Albanian:
gjuhët semitike
— Semitic languages in general
Armenian:
սեմական
(semakan)
— Semitic languages in general
Bengali:
সামী
(samī)
— Semitic languages in general
Chinese Mandarin:
閃米特語 /闪米特语
(shǎnmǐtèyǔ)
— Semitic languages in general
Finnish:
seemiläiset kielet
— Semitic languages in general
Georgian:
სემიტური ენები
(semiṭuri enebi)
— Semitic languages in general
German:
semitisch
— Semitic languages in general
Hindi:
सेमिटिक
(semiṭik)
— Semitic languages in general
Polish:
semicki
— Semitic languages in general
Portuguese:
semítico
— Semitic languages in general
