Somali

noun

So·​ma·​li sō-ˈmä-lē 

sə-

plural Somali or Somalis

1

: a member of a people of Somaliland

2

: the Cushitic language of the Somali

Somali adjective

Examples of Somali in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The ringleader of the scheme, who was recently sentenced to forty-one years in prison, was a white American named Aimee Bock, but a majority of the more than seventy people convicted were Somali Americans. — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Not a home-run like last year’s Somali Street Fries, but I’d split this with a group of friends for sure. — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 28 Aug. 2026

That is up from Politico’s report that Somali pirates had seized at least three tankers carrying oil and fertilizer since April, while a chemical-carrying ship was hijacked off Yemen in July. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Mohamed Dahir | Afp | Getty Images Somali pirates are back in business. — Aparajita Saxena, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from or akin to Somali Soomaali

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Somali

• akali
• bengali
• diwali
• loblolly
• naphtali
• nepali
• secale
• colley
• collie
• dolly
• folly
• golly