Druze

American  

[drooz] / druz /

Or Druse

noun

1. Islam. a member of an independent religious sect living chiefly in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, established in the 11th century as a branch of Ismaʿili Shiʿism and containing elements of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and believing in the transmigration of souls and the ultimate perfection of humankind.

---

Other Word Forms

• Druzean
  adjective
• Druzian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Druze

1595–1605; < Arabic durūz, plural of durzī a Druze, derivative of the name of one of the sect founders, Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Darazī

Example Sentences

In July Reuters reported that Mr. Barrack’s inveighing against federalism in Syria had given President Ahmed al-Sharaa the impression he had a U.S. green light to deploy troops southward into Druze lands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Though much of southern Lebanon is predominantly Shiite, Kfar Chouba and its neighbors comprise a pocket of Christian, Druze and Sunni Muslim communities.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Israel, which has a sizable Druze minority, has previously framed such strikes as efforts to protect the community across the border.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

This model is already emerging in Kurdish regions and should be extended to Alawite and Druze communities without undermining central authority.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

There thou shalt find a welcome far more hospitable than the Druze will give thee.

From Oriental Encounters Palestine and Syria, 1894-6 by Pickthall, Marmaduke William