Somali

American  

[soh-mah-lee, suh-] / soʊˈmɑ li, sə- /

noun

Somalis plural

1. a member of a people speaking a Cushitic language and living primarily in Somalia, Somaliland, and adjacent regions.

2. the Cushitic language of the Somali ethnic group.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Somalia, its people, or their language.

2. of or relating to the Somali ethnic group or their language.

Somali British  

/ səʊˈmɑːlɪ /

noun

1. a member of a tall dark-skinned people inhabiting Somalia

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Cushitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Somalia, the Somalis, or their language

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Somali
  plural
• Somalis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Somali

First recorded in 1800–10 as Samaulies (plural); from Somali Soomaali, a self-designation

Example Sentences

Cuban forces supported rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while troops helped Ethiopia repel a Somali invasion.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

And a US livestreamer known as Johnny Somali was arrested in 2023 for allegedly trespassing onto a construction site.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

That became a problem for Chinese shippers around 2010 when Somali piracy was on an upswing, so Beijing permitted the creation of private firms according to strict guidelines, Heath said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

According to police, the site is in the process of being sold to a local Somali Muslim organisation, Ashaadibi Education and Cultural Centre, which has condemned the alleged arson attack.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Of his clique, Mandela was now alone on the team, which included Bosnians, Kosovars, and Somali Bantu kids he’d never met before.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John