Islam

noun

Is·​lam is-ˈläm How to pronounce Islam (audio)
iz-,
-ˈlam How to pronounce Islam (audio)
ˈis-ˌläm,
ˈiz-,
-ˌlam
1
: the religious faith of Muslims including belief in Allah as the sole deity and in Muhammad as his prophet
2
a
: the civilization erected upon Islamic faith
b
: the group of modern nations in which Islam is the dominant religion
Islamic
is-ˈlä-mik How to pronounce Islam (audio)
iz-
-ˈla-
adjective
Islamics
is-ˈlä-miks How to pronounce Islam (audio)
iz-
-ˈla-
noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

Examples of Islam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The start of Ramadan, Islam’s annual month of fasting from sunrise to sunset, with a nightly meal followed by special prayers, started March 10 or 11, depending on the congregation. Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 Yelton, 69, was raised Methodist but converted to Islam in his 20s and spent decades working from Muslim-majority countries as an oil field manager. Emmanuel Felton, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 Featuring Muslim prayer lines and names, the astrolabe was originally intended to help practitioners of Islam perform their daily prayers. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 The holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims are required to fast from dawn till dusk and attend additional prayer services, traditionally draws hundreds of thousands of worshippers to the Old City of Jerusalem, the location of the al-Aqsa Mosque – Islam’s third-holiest site. Ruth Marks Eglash, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2024 When the revolution toppled the monarchy in 1979, the new clerical rulers declared an Islamic theocracy and for years discouraged and even cracked down on Persian celebrations that predated Islam, including Chaharshanbeh Suri. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 In Islam, Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity. Zaina Arafat, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Volkanovski came off the couch to face UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in a rematch at UFC 294. Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Al-Aqsa is the third-holiest site in Islam and is typically packed with worshippers during Ramadan. NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Islam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Arabic islām submission (to the will of God)

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Islam was in 1817

Dictionary Entries Near Islam

Cite this Entry

“Islam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Islam. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Islam

noun
Is·​lam is-ˈläm How to pronounce Islam (audio) iz- How to pronounce Islam (audio)
-ˈlam;
ˈis-ˌläm,
ˈiz-ˌläm,
-ˌlam
1
: a religion marked by belief in Allah as the sole deity, in Muhammad as his prophet, and in the Koran
2
a
: the civilization erected upon Islamic faith
b
: the modern nations in which Islam is the dominant religion
Islamic
is-ˈläm-ik How to pronounce Islam (audio)
iz-
-ˈlam-
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Islam

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