Somali
Americannoun
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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:
But Dirie told the BBC Focus on Africa podcast that the Somali government had approached Meta, which owns WhatsApp, about their concerns and hoped that "we'll reach a resolution on this matter very soon".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 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
We had seen it with Somali referee Omar Artan.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
His phone, laptop and other electronics were taken from him, according to Somali football federation officials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 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
Ilyas Adam, a human rights legal consultant with the Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders, says such mental anguish is widespread among young Somalis.
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
In this way, the memes and satire are likely helping young Somalis in the U.S. reaffirm their Americanness.
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.
