Somali

American  

[soh-mah-lee, suh-] / soʊˈmɑ li, sə- /

noun

plural

Somalis,

plural

Somali

1. a member of a people speaking a Cushitic language and living primarily in Somalia, Somaliland, and adjacent regions.

2. the Cushitic language of the Somali ethnic group.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Somalia, its people, or their language.

2. of or relating to the Somali ethnic group or their language.

Somali British  

/ səʊˈmɑːlɪ /

noun

1. a member of a tall dark-skinned people inhabiting Somalia

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Cushitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Somalia, the Somalis, or their language

Etymology

Origin of Somali

First recorded in 1800–10 as Samaulies (plural); from Somali Soomaali, a self-designation

Example Sentences

The Executive Office for Immigration Review denied there is any Somali fast-track policy, instead noting that any immigration judge in the U.S. can hear a case at any time to help with caseloads.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

IS-Somalia, based in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in the north-east of the country, was established by a Somali national, Abdulqadir Mumin.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

Minnesota has the largest Somali community in the United States.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

In video of the event, someone can be heard yelling “Somalia” before Trump began talking about Somali immigrants, and “bitcoin chart” while the president was showing economic charts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

The Somali Bantu presented an extraordinary challenge for resettlement officials.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John