chiloni

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Pronunciations

chiloni (chee-lo-NEE) listen

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Definitions

  • adj. (Of Jewish people or institutions) secular, not religious.

  • n. (In plural) chiloni people.

Example Sentences

  • "Some of these towns are half dati and half chiloni." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Modern Hebrew

Etymology

  • חילוני \ חִלּוֹנִי 'secular' (plural חילונים \ חִלּוֹנִים chilonim‎ or חילוניים \ חִלּוֹנִיִּים chiloniyim)

      • Who Uses This

      • Israel: Diaspora Jews who feel connected to Israel and have spent time there

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      hiloni

Notes

  • Plural chilonim or chiloniyim.

    Specifically refers to Jewish people who are not religiously Jewish.

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