Advertisement

Advertisement

Sunni

[soon-ee]

noun

Islam.
  1. Also called Sunnitea member of one of the two great religious divisions of Islam, regarding the first four caliphs as legitimate successors of Muhammad and stressing the importance of Sunna as a basis for law.

  2. (used with a plural verb),  the Sunni Muslims.



Sunni

/ ˈsʌnɪ /

noun

  1. one of the two main branches of orthodox Islam (the other being the Shiah), consisting of those who acknowledge the authority of the Sunna

  2. another term for Sunnite

“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
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • Sunnism noun
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sunni1

1620–30; < Arabic sunnī, derivative of sunnah Sunna
Discover More

Compare Meanings

How does Sunni compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Discover More

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.

The violence erupted when Druze militias clashed with Sunni Bedouin tribes, which prompted the government to send its forces to intervene.

Read more on BBC

The organization has served as the ideological wellspring of modern Sunni Islamism since its founding in Egypt in 1928, with stated goals of establishing a global caliphate governed by sharia law.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Syria’s new government sent troops to quell fighting between the Druze religious minority and Sunni Muslim tribes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The fighting in Sweida, the southern province bordering Jordan and near Israel, began last week between militiamen from the Druze religious minority and Sunni Muslim tribes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile 354 government security personnel and 21 Sunni Bedouin were also killed, three of them civilians who it said were "summarily executed by Druze fighters".

Read more on BBC

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Sunnasunnies