[zahy-uh-niz-uh
m] 
| a worldwide Jewish movement that resulted in the establishment and development of the state of Israel. |
| Zi·on·ism (zī'ə-nĭz'əm) n. A Jewish movement that arose in the late 19th century in response to growing anti-Semitism and sought to reestablish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Modern Zionism is concerned with the support and development of the state of Israel. Zi'on·ist adj. & n., Zi'on·is'tic adj. |
The belief that Jews should have their own nation; Jewish nationalism. Zionism gained much support among Jews and others in the early twentieth century, and the hoped-for nation was established in the late 1940s in Palestine, as the state of Israel. Zionism is opposed by most Arabs. (See Arab-Israeli conflict.)