Shiite

noun

Shi·​ite ˈshē-ˌīt 

: a Muslim of the Shia branch of Islam

Shiite adjective

Examples of Shiite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan is viewed as a key opponent of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph and a central figure in Shiite Islam. —Ismaeel Naar, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

Even the western coastal homelands of Assad and his Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, largely acquiesced to Sharaa's leadership. —Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025

Assad is a member of the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. —Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2025

Druze for centuries have experienced oppression under various Islamic regimes such as the Shiite Fatimid Caliphate, the Mamluks, and the Ottoman Empire. —Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025

In the Shiite Muslim faith, a martyr is the highest expression of honor — harkening back to the beginnings of Shiite Islam with the 7th century killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, in Karbala in what is now Iraq. —Jane Arraf, NPR, 23 Feb. 2025

In the first round of voting on Thursday morning, Aoun didn't get enough votes because several lawmakers affiliated with the Shiite Amal party and Hezbollah abstained. —Barak Ravid, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025

The president’s role in Lebanon is limited under the power-sharing system in which the president is always a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament Shiite. —Sally Abou Aljoud and Abby Sewell, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Jan. 2025

In Lebanon, the head of state has a limited role under the power-sharing system in which the president is always a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament Shiite. —Sally Abou Aljoud and Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Shiite

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

Shiite

noun

Shi·​ite

variants or Shi'ite

ˈshē-ˌīt

plural Shiites or Shi'ites

: a Muslim who is a member of the Shia branch of Islam