haram
Americanadjective
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relating to or noting meat not prepared or animals not slaughtered in the manner prescribed by Islamic law.
haram beef and chicken.
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(of foods, medications, etc.) not fit to eat or use according to Islamic law.
Pork and alcoholic beverages are haram.
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forbidden to have or do under Islamic law.
a haram business that sells wine.
noun
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a haram animal or haram meat.
noun
Etymology
Origin of haram
First recorded in 1795–1805; from Arabic ḥarām “forbidden, unlawful, off-limits,” from ḥarima “to be forbidden”
Explanation
Anything that's haram is forbidden or sinful for an observant Muslim. Islamic law considers both disrespecting one's parents and eating pork to be haram. Activities or actions that harm one's self or other people are generally considered to be haram. Many of these are specifically prohibited in the Quran, including consuming certain food and drink, stealing or cheating to obtain money, and crimes of violence. It's also haram to break a fast in the daytime during Ramadan or eat meat that's not slaughtered according to Islamic law. In Arabic, haram means "forbidden."
Vocabulary lists containing haram
An Emotion of Great Delight
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Kareem Between
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After that offensive ended in February 2025, the army insisted that Boko Haram had "no more sanctuary on Chadian territory".
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
The escalating U.S. involvement in Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram and a breakaway militant group, Islamic State in West Africa Province, follows a sharp turn in rhetoric from the White House.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
No group claimed responsibility, but Tinubu blamed the attack on Boko Haram jihadists.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
"I don't think that's accurate. There is no Iswap or Boko Haram cell resident in the north-west. The recent kidnappings, including the mass abductions, were carried out by bandits, not Boko Haram or Iswap,"
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025
Black Hassan from the Haram flies, Nor bends on woman's form his eyes;440 The unwonted chase each hour employs, Yet shares he not the hunter's joys.
From The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 3 by Coleridge, Ernest Hartley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
