Islam

noun

Is·​lam is-ˈläm 

iz-,

-ˈlam 

ˈis-ˌläm,

ˈiz-,

-ˌlam

1

: the religious faith of Muslims including belief in Allah as the sole deity and in Muhammad as his prophet

2

a

: the civilization erected upon Islamic faith

b

: the group of modern nations in which Islam is the dominant religion

Islamic

is-ˈlä-mik 

iz-

-ˈla-

adjective

Islamics

is-ˈlä-miks 

iz-

-ˈla-

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

Examples of Islam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The card features two championship fights: Islam Makhachev defends his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan, and Merab Dvalishvili defends his bantamweight belt against Umar Nurmagomedov. —Brian Mazique, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024

On social media, the man described himself as an ex-Muslim and a vocal critic of Islam, frequently sharing posts supportive of far-right ideologies. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024

The man described himself as an ex-Muslim who was highly critical of Islam and in many posts on social media expressed support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Advertisement He is being held in custody as authorities investigate him. —Michael Probst and Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024

The rebel groups are made up of a bewildering array of militias including the Syrian Free Army, Islamic State, Guardians of Islam, al-Qaeda, Druze militias, Kurdish militias, Mujahedin Khalq, and others. —Ghassan E. El-Eid, Hartford Courant, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Arabic islām submission (to the will of God)

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

Islam

noun

Is·​lam is-ˈläm  iz- 

-ˈlam;

ˈis-ˌläm,

ˈiz-ˌläm,

-ˌlam

1

: a religion marked by belief in Allah as the sole deity, in Muhammad as his prophet, and in the Koran

2

a

: the civilization erected upon Islamic faith

b

: the modern nations in which Islam is the dominant religion

Islamic

is-ˈläm-ik 

iz-

-ˈlam-

adjective