Somali
Americannoun
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Somalis,
plural
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Somali
plural
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a member of a people speaking a Cushitic language and living primarily in Somalia, Somaliland, and adjacent regions.
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the Cushitic language of the Somali ethnic group.
adjective
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of or relating to Somalia, its people, or their language.
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of or relating to the Somali ethnic group or their language.
noun
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a member of a tall dark-skinned people inhabiting Somalia
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the language of this people, belonging to the Cushitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of Somali
First recorded in 1800–10 as Samaulies (plural); from Somali Soomaali, a self-designation
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.
See Examples For:
A haven for refugees fleeing a civil war in the late ’90s, Minnesota is home to some 80,000 people of Somali descent, most of whom are citizens.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
The State Department also denied entry to Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a decorated Somali referee, turning him away at Miami International Airport in June, citing “vetting concerns.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
After being put back on a plane to Turkey, Artan received assistance from Fifa officials in Istanbul before boarding a flight to the Somali capital Mogadishu.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Fans from some nations have been barred from entry while Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the World Cup.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 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
He says Somalis fighting on the side of the Ethiopians were viewed as traitors for "betraying their country".
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
DHS faces a new lawsuit over the apparent fast-track policy for Somalis, brought by Minnesota-based law firm Hines Immigration Law and Minneapolis-based group Advocates for Human Rights.
From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2026
He understands that because of his social media presence he may get opportunities not available to other Somalis deported - or threatened with deportation - from the US.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
Some crafted faux-biblical verses like “Whoever harms Somalis will bring harm onto himself—Genesis 67:67” and “If you bless the Somali people, God will bless you—Genesis 12:8.”
From Salon ● Dec. 8, 2025
To lump people as different as Zulus, Somalis, and Ibos under the single heading of “blacks” ignores the differences between them.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
