Sunni

American  

[soon-ee] / ˈsʊn i /

noun

Islam.

1. Also called Sunnite.  a member of one of the two great religious divisions of Islam, regarding the first four caliphs as legitimate successors of Muhammad and stressing the importance of Sunna as a basis for law.

2. (used with a plural verb) the Sunni Muslims.

---

Sunni British  

/ ˈsʌnɪ /

noun

1. one of the two main branches of orthodox Islam (the other being the Shiah), consisting of those who acknowledge the authority of the Sunna

2. another term for Sunnite

---

Other Word Forms

• Sunnism noun

Etymology

Origin of Sunni

1620–30; < Arabic sunnī, derivative of sunnah Sunna

Compare meaning

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

• Sunni vs. Shiʿite

Example Sentences

Shia Islam is Iran's state religion, and also a major religious branch in Bahrain, alongside Sunni Islam.

From Barron's

The Iranian experiment had a distinctly Shiite flavor, but Sunni Islamists instantly recognized its significance.

From The Wall Street Journal

As a Shiite-majority nation, Iran has long held fractious and even hostile relationships with Sunni jihadist actors.

From Los Angeles Times

Some residents of all faiths remain in the predominantly-Shia south, which is also home to Christians and Sunnis.

From Barron's

Why shouldn’t that work in the Middle East, even if he can’t distinguish Sunni from Shia and doesn’t understand the basic geography of the region?

From Salon