Shiʿah

or Shi·ʿa

[ shee-uh ]

/ ˈʃi ə /

noun Islam.

(used with a plural verb) the Shiʿites.

(used with a singular verb) Shiʿite.

Origin of Shiʿah

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shiah

According to Shiah doctrine, the rulership of the State by divine law belongs to the Imam.
Bahaism and Its Claims|Samuel Graham Wilson
As in all Shiah (Mohammedan) lands, the priests (mullahs) possess great power.
Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish Arabia|M. E. Hume-Griffith
Borrowing so much from the Shiah sects, its fundamental basis in philosophic thought is inferior even to Islam.
Bahaism and Its Claims|Samuel Graham Wilson
Among Muhammadans, Shiah women remove their nose-rings during the Muharram as a sign of mourning.
The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India, Vol. II (of 2)|W. Crooke

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 shiah

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