Logo
dictionary thesaurus

Ismaili

noun
Is·​ma·​ili
variants: or Ismaʽili \ ˌizmäˈē(ˌ)lē , ˌism-​ , -​məˈē-​ \ or less commonly Ismailian \ -​lēən \
plural -s

Definition of Ismaili

: one of a Shiʽa sect composed of those who recognize the Aga Khan as imam

History and Etymology for Ismaili

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

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

desultory

play

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!