Islam

noun

Is·​lam is-ˈläm 

iz-,

-ˈlam 

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 

iz-

-ˈla-

adjective

Islamics

is-ˈlä-miks 

iz-

-ˈla-

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

Examples of Islam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Her work seeks to push back on the way that Black life is erased from stories of Islam in America—an erasure sometimes done by Muslim Americans themselves, especially from immigrant backgrounds. —Zahir Janmohamed, Bon Appétit, 13 Mar. 2025

Competition with Islam led Christians to adjust their views on pacifism and procreation: by the twelfth century, violence against Muslims was holy and the production of children to aid in the fight was, for those not required to be celibate, a Christian duty. —S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025

Though the government's counter-offensive was able to largely contain the insurgency, footage surfaced of what appeared to be retaliatory attacks targeting the broader minority Alawite community, an offshoot of Shia Islam whose adherents live mainly in the western coastal region. —arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025

The title refers not to Islam’s holy place but to an eccentric old widow’s sculpture garden in the South African desert. —Carmel Dagan, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Arabic islām submission (to the will of God)

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Islam

• aplomb
• balaam
• cocom
• embalm
• pogrom
• salaam
• sitcom
• balm
• bom
• bomb
• calm
• dom

Kids Definition

Islam

noun

Is·​lam is-ˈläm  iz- 

-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 

iz-

-ˈlam-

adjective