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  • shiite
    shiite
    noun
    a member of one of the two great religious divisions of Islam that regards Ali, the son-in-law of Muhammad, as the legitimate successor of Muhammad, and disregards the three caliphs who succeeded him.
  • Shiite
    Shiite
    noun
    an adherent of Shiah

shiite

American  
[shee-ahyt] / ˈʃi aɪt /
Also Shiite,

noun

Islam.
  1. a member of one of the two great religious divisions of Islam that regards Ali, the son-in-law of Muhammad, as the legitimate successor of Muhammad, and disregards the three caliphs who succeeded him.


Shiite British  
/ ˈʃiːaɪt /

noun

  1. an adherent of Shiah

"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

adjective

  1. of or relating to Shiah

"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

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of shiite

Shiʿah + -ite 1


Compare meaning

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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:

The German Press Agency DPA said he came from Hofuf in Saudi Arabia, and is from the Shiite minority there.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

Lebanon’s battered Shiite community is taking stock of the destruction wrought by yet another confrontation between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

The head of the pro-Tehran Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, on Wednesday described the deal as a "great victory" for Iran.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

The Iranians know Pakistan fears angering its people, who are mostly sympathetic to Iran, in particular a large Shiite Muslim minority that accounts for up to 20% of Pakistan’s population.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

But she learned that there were Shiite and Sunni interpretations of the Qur’an, and within any mosque there were the same variations in faith and commitment as there were in any church.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

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