---
title: Semitic
slug: semitic
defined: true
excerpt: related to languages, races, and culture of people who live or come from across part of western Asia and northern Africa, which include Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Amharic.
speech: adjective
reading:
  - text: Cambridge Dictionary
    href: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/semitic
  - text: Merriam-Webster
    href: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Semitic
  - text: Oxford Learner's Dictionary
    href: https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/semitic
  - text: Urban Dictionary
    href: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Semitic
---

related to languages, races, and culture of people who live or come from across part of western Asia and northern Africa, which include Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Amharic.

## Note

While Semitic refers to a broad spectrum of languages, races, and cultures as described above, it is often mistakenly only used to speak about Arabic and Hebrew.

## Related Terms

[antisemitism](/definitions/antisemitism)