Shiʿah

or Shi·ʿa

[ shee-uh ]

/ ˈʃi ə /

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noun Islam.

(used with a plural verb) the Shiʿites.

(used with a singular verb) Shiʿite.

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Origin of Shiʿah

First recorded in 1620–30, Shiʿah is from the Arabic word shīʿah literally, sect

Words nearby Shiʿah

sheveret, shew, shewbread, she-wolf, SHF, Shiʿah, shiai, shiatsu, shibboleth, shicer, shicker

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Shiʿah in a sentence

The struggle between Shiah and Sunni was dividing the world of Islam.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 9|Various
Most of the Persian trade with Baghdad and thousands of Shiah pilgrims annually pass through it.
Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume I (of 2)|Isabella L. Bird
To make a pilgrimage to Kerbela, or to rest finally in its holy dust, or both, 36 constitutes the ambition of every Shiah.
Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume I (of 2)|Isabella L. Bird
In religion they are fanatical Moslems of the Shiah sect, but combine relics of nature worship with the tenets of Islam.
Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume I (of 2)|Isabella L. Bird

He had listened to the history of the caliphate; he yearned toward Ali and his family; he became in heart a Shiah.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 9|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Shiʿah

Shiah

Shia

/ (ˈʃiːə) /

noun

one of the two main branches of Islam (the other being the Sunni), making up a tenth or more of the entire Muslim population, and forming the majority in Iran and Iraq, which regards Mohammed's cousin Ali and his successors as the true imams

another name for Shiite

adjective

designating or characteristic of this sect or its beliefs and practices

Word Origin for Shiah

C17: from Arabic shī`ah sect, from shā`a to follow

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012