Swahili

noun

Swa·​hi·​li swä-ˈhē-lē 

plural Swahili or Swahilis

1

: a member of a Bantu-speaking people of Zanzibar and the adjacent coast

2

: a Bantu language that is a trade and governmental language over much of East Africa and in the Congo region

Examples of Swahili in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Johnson plans to use his fellowship to complete his degree in entrepreneurship, pursue certification in cultural intelligence, and deepen his spiritual and cultural leadership through ancestral pilgrimage and learning Swahili. —Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 3 June 2025

From Spanish and Swahili to Finnish and Filipino, over 7,000 languages are spoken across the world today. —Rosie McCall, Discover Magazine, 12 May 2025

Along Tanzania’s Swahili Coast, farmers master the art of balance, moving their bounty with quiet determination. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Speaking in French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda — the language of Rwanda and of many Congolese Hutu and Tutsi — the leaders vowed to march on Kinshasa. —Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Arabic sawāḥil, plural of sāḥil coast

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Swahili

• ideally
• lapilli
• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• steely
• vilely
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili

Kids Definition

Swahili

noun

Swa·​hi·​li swä-ˈhē-lē 

plural Swahili or Swahilis

1

: a member of a Bantu-speaking people of Zanzibar and the adjacent coast of Africa

2

: a Bantu language that is a trade and governmental language over much of East Africa and in the Congo region