Ishmael

American  

[ish-mee-uhl, -mey-] / ˈɪʃ mi əl, -meɪ- /

noun

1. (in the Bible) the son of Abraham and Hagar: both he and Hagar were cast out of Abraham's family by Sarah.

2. any outcast.

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Ishmael British  

/ ˈɪʃmeɪəl /

noun

1. the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's handmaid: the ancestor of 12 Arabian tribes (Genesis 21:8–21; 25:12–18)

2. a bandit chieftain, who defied the Babylonian conquerors of Judah and assassinated the governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar (II Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 40:13–41:18)

3. rare  an outcast

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Etymology

Origin of Ishmael

From Hebrew Yishmāʿēl “God will hear”

Compare meaning

How does ishmael compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Ishmael vs. Isaac

Example Sentences

The news of Teen Vogue layoffs came as a complete shock to Ishmael.

From Salon

That statement from British light-middleweight Ishmael Davis might appear blunt at face value, but his harsh view on life was developed through some difficult formative years.

From BBC

British light-middleweight Ishmael Davis took two successive late replacement fights in 2024, one at Wembley Stadium and one in Riyadh, and has now lost three in a row.

From BBC

“It’s ‘Isaac and Ishmael,’ talking about how the two different branches came from Abraham — two different groups but from the same person.

From Los Angeles Times

Mohamed Ishmael, another Mamoudzou resident, told Reuters news agency the situation there was "a tragedy" and said: "You feel like you are in the aftermath of a nuclear war… I saw an entire neighbourhood disappear."

From BBC