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

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!