Shiism

noun

Shi·​ism ˈshē-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce Shiism (audio)
: Islam as taught by the Shia

Examples of Shiism in a Sentence

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After all, as many U.S. officials believed, Islamist ideology became a global phenomenon because of the success of Iran’s revolution in 1979 (never mind that the Iranian regime’s resolute Shiism separated it from the Sunni militancy of groups such as al-Qaeda). Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025 In Twelver Shiism, these values touch many aspects of daily and communal life. Massumeh H. Toosi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2025 Tehran's only hope is to form a proxy in the rubble of the regime among the Alawites (an offshoot of Shiism of which Assad was a part) or other Shia minorities. Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 Zaydi theology differs significantly from the main type of Shiism practiced in Iran and Lebanon, but throughout the years the Houthis have moved their religion closer to that of Iran, importing Iranian customs. Nicolas Niarchos, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024 Because the Shia identity is more expansive and open ended than that of the Sunni many heterodox groups take refuge under the umbrella of Shiism even if their connection to the Twelve Shiism dominant in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, is tenuous at best. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 15 Sep. 2013

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Shiism was circa 1883

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Cite this Entry

“Shiism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Shiism. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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