Ismaili

noun

Is·​ma·​ili

variants or Ismaʽili

ˌizmäˈē(ˌ)lē,

ˌism-,

-məˈē-

or less commonly Ismailian

-lēən

plural -s

: one of a Shiʽa sect composed of those who recognize the Aga Khan as imam

Word History

Etymology

Ismaili, Ismaʽili from Arabic Ismaʽīlīy, from Ismaʽīl † a.d. 760 son of the sixth imam Jafar al-Sadiq and in the opinion of the Ismailis his true successor; Ismailian from Arabic Ismaʽīlīy + English -an

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