Ismaili

noun

Is·​ma·​ili
variants or Ismaʽili
ˌizmäˈē(ˌ)lē,
ˌism-,
-məˈē-
 or less commonly Ismailian
-lēən
plural -s
: one of a Shiʽa sect composed of those who recognize the Aga Khan as imam

Word History

Etymology

Ismaili, Ismaʽili from Arabic Ismaʽīlīy, from Ismaʽīl † a.d. 760 son of the sixth imam Jafar al-Sadiq and in the opinion of the Ismailis his true successor; Ismailian from Arabic Ismaʽīlīy + English -an

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Dictionary Entries Near Ismaili

Ismaelism

Ismaili

Ismailia

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ismaili.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ismaili. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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