Somali

American  

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

noun

Somalis plural

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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Somali
  plural
• Somalis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Somali

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

Example Sentences

Cuban forces supported rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while troops helped Ethiopia repel a Somali invasion.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

And a US livestreamer known as Johnny Somali was arrested in 2023 for allegedly trespassing onto a construction site.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

That became a problem for Chinese shippers around 2010 when Somali piracy was on an upswing, so Beijing permitted the creation of private firms according to strict guidelines, Heath said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

The ongoing enforcement operation, which sparked nationwide protests after two US citizens were killed, has left some residents shaken - particularly among the largest Somali community outside Africa, found in the city of Minneapolis.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Few in Clarkston knew anything about the history of the Somali Bantu when they learned, through media reports, that another wave of refugees was coming to their town.

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