Sikh

American  

[seek, sik] / sik, sɪk /

noun

• Sikhs
  plural

1. a member of a monotheistic religion, founded in the Punjab about 1500 by the guru Nanak, that refuses to recognize the Hindu caste system or the Brahmanical priesthood and forbids magic, idolatry, and pilgrimages.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Sikhs or to their religion and practices.

Sikh British  

/ siːk /

noun

1. a member of an Indian religion that separated from Hinduism and was founded in the 16th century, that teaches monotheism and that has the Granth as its chief religious document, rejecting the authority of the Vedas

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Sikhs or their religious beliefs and customs

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Sikhism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Sikhs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Sikh

First recorded in 1750–60; from Hindi: literally, “disciple,” from Sanskrit śiṣya-

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Sikh Sikhs

However, his supporters say he was targeted for blogging about alleged human rights abuses against the Sikh community in India and was coerced into signing a false confession to participation in the killings.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Sikh leaders have reported a "backlash" and increase in "hate crime" against their community following the case.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Singh, which translates to “lion,” is the most common last name for Sikh men.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Deadly accidents in Florida and San Bernardino County last year brought scrutiny to Sikh Punjabi truck drivers, who make up an estimated 20% of the U.S. trucking workforce.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

Now I look at him and think Sikh.

From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani

“We remain fearless in identifying as Sikhs — even when our government portrays us as enemies,” the coalition wrote on X.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The Sikh Coalition noted that the DHS post comes as the country mourns the 25th anniversary of 9/11, after which Sikhs were targeted for hate crimes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Many Sikhs fled the violence to the U.S. and Canada.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

The emperor appeared less distant and austere than expected, and the reports contained far fewer hostile references to groups such as the Sikhs than Faruqui had anticipated.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Everyone recoiled all at once—the Mussalmans, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, pagans, Sikhs, in my case an almost-Zoroastrian, and all-of-the-above in the case of Samir, the Seller of Dreams.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• adherent
• believer
• devotee