Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A member of the branch of Islam that regards Ali and his descendants as the legitimate successors to Muhammad and rejects the first three caliphs.
  • adjective Of or relating to the Shiites or their branch of Islam.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as Shiah.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A member of that branch of the Mohammedans to which the Persians belong. They reject the first three caliphs, and consider Ali as being the first and only rightful successor of Mohammed. They do not acknowledge the Sunna, or body of traditions respecting Mohammed, as any part of the law, and on these accounts are treated as heretics by the Sunnites, or orthodox Mohammedans.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of, or relating to Shiites or the Shi'a branch of Islam.
  • adjective Of, or relating the Shi'a branch of Islam.
  • noun A member of the Shi'a branch of Islam.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a member of the branch of Islam that regards Ali as the legitimate successor to Mohammed and rejects the first three caliphs
  • noun a member of the branch of Islam that regards Ali as the legitimate successor to Mohammed and rejects the first three caliphs

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Arabic šī‘a, partisans; see Shiah.]

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Examples

  • In an escalation of the rivalry, the main Sunni-backed political bloc on Sunday announced it was boycotting parliament to protest what they called Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's attempts to monopolize government positions - particularly those overseeing the powerful security forces.

    SFGate: Don Asmussen: Bad Reporter Sameer N. Yacoub 2011

  • The attack was particularly notable because Najaf, a revered city in Shiite Islam, has been among the safest places in Iraq in recent years.

    U.N. diplomat unhurt in Iraq bombing; 1 policeman killed Ernesto Londono 2010

  • While the Iranian regime appears to be finding support these days in Shiite quarters from Beirut to Baghdad, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is searching for theological backing this week in his own backyard.

    Geneive Abdo: Khamenei Seeks Rehabilitation in Qom Geneive Abdo 2010

  • While the Iranian regime appears to be finding support these days in Shiite quarters from Beirut to Baghdad, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is searching for theological backing this week in his own backyard.

    Geneive Abdo: Khamenei Seeks Rehabilitation in Qom Geneive Abdo 2010

  • While the Iranian regime appears to be finding support these days in Shiite quarters from Beirut to Baghdad, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is searching for theological backing this week in his own backyard.

    Geneive Abdo: Khamenei Seeks Rehabilitation in Qom Geneive Abdo 2010

  • The attack was particularly notable because Najaf, a revered city in Shiite Islam, has been among the safest places in Iraq in recent years.

    U.N. diplomat unhurt in Iraq bombing; 1 policeman killed Ernesto Londono 2010

  • This is significant, the Sunnis had previously boycotted elections, resulting in Shiite dominated provincial governments in areas where Shiites were a minority, and in Shiite representation in normally Sunni areas.

    Matthew Yglesias » Iraqi Self-Identification 2009

  • The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council is thought be behind the hundreds of posters in Shiite areas of Baghdad bearing the image of the country's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in a move designed to use the name of the much revered cleric to attract voters.

    Iraq's Sunnis fear election could spark violence 2010

  • Anthony Shadid reports today that a series of six car bombs “struck markets, a police convoy and a gaggle of workers in Shiite Muslim neighborhoods Monday, killing 32 people and wounding more than 120 in one of the most violent days in the capital in months.”

    Wonk Room » Claims Of Iraq ‘Success’ Still Unreality-Based 2009

  • While the Iranian regime appears to be finding support these days in Shiite quarters from Beirut to Baghdad, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is searching for theological backing this week in his own backyard.

    Geneive Abdo: Khamenei Seeks Rehabilitation in Qom Geneive Abdo 2010

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