Antisemitism

/ˌæntiːˈsɛmɪtɪzəm/ noun

Definition

Prejudice, hostility, or discrimination against Jewish people, often involving conspiracy theories and stereotypes.

Etymology

From antisemite + -ism (suffix creating abstract nouns). The term crystallized in 19th-century Europe when anti-Jewish sentiment became more systematized and politically organized, culminating tragically in the Holocaust.

Kelly Says

Antisemitism is one of the oldest persistent forms of prejudice, existing before the term was even coined—it combines religious, economic, and racial stereotypes in ways that have inspired historians to study how prejudice becomes institutionalized and justified.

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