Academy Keeps Contested Definition of 'Judío'
The Royal Spanish Academy has not removed a 'miserly or usurious' meaning of the word 'judío' despite an Argentine federal court order.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Judaism
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A federal judge in Argentina ordered the Royal Spanish Academy in September 2024 to drop the definition of 'judío' as 'miserly or usurious,' but the academy's online dictionary still lists it as the fifth meaning. The ruling followed a criminal complaint filed by the Latin American Jewish Congress and DAIA against the academy's director.
Why it matters
Jewish groups argue that keeping the definition perpetuates an antisemitic trope, while the academy says its dictionary records how words are used, including pejorative meanings. The dispute tests how far a national court order can reach a language authority based in Madrid.
The academy's dictionary lists five meanings for 'judío,' and the fifth, 'miserly or usurious,' was labeled 'offensive or discriminatory' in 2021. The academy has not said whether it will remove the entry following the September 2024 Argentine order.
The players
Royal Spanish Academy
Founded in 1713 and based in Madrid, the academy sets standards for the Spanish language and publishes its dictionary.
Latin American Jewish Congress (CJL)
An advocacy organization representing Jewish communities across Latin America that brought the complaint over the dictionary entry.
The details
The Latin American Jewish Congress and DAIA filed a criminal complaint in August 2024 naming Santiago Muñoz Machado, the academy's director, and other officials. A federal judge in Argentina ordered the definition removed the following month, and the academy's director said he would examine the ruling while stating it cannot be enforced in Spain.
Timeline
2021: The academy began labeling the 'miserly or usurious' usage as offensive or discriminatory.
2023: The CJL requested removal of the definition.
August 2024: The CJL and DAIA filed the criminal complaint.
September 2024: The Argentine federal judge ordered the definition removed.
Culture Shift
The academy previously modified the 'lawyer' entry in 2023 after a request from Spanish lawyer Borja Luján Lago, establishing a precedent for changing entries when challenged. The 'judío' case tests whether that precedent extends to a definition the academy has defended as a record of usage.
Readers who use Spanish dictionaries for reference will see the 'judío' entry as it currently stands in the academy's online edition. Any future change to the entry would affect how the word is defined in the dictionary's five-meaning list.
The takeaway
Dictionary entries reflect both usage and institutional judgment, and this dispute shows how a court order from one country may not bind a language academy in another. Readers interested in how such definitions are maintained can compare the academy's labeling choices over time.
Further reading
For more on Jewish cultural and religious topics, see the Judaism section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sun Sentinel.
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