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

In Mozambique, sable are called pala pala by the natives, the same word used by the Swahili-speaking inhabitants of Tanganyika, a strange circumstance since Swahili is not used in Mozambique. — Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 8 July 2026

Stevie Wonder called friends in Nigeria who spoke Swahili and then came back into the room and asked for silence. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026

Derived from Shona and Swahili influences, TALA translates to meaning story or narrative. — Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 17 June 2026

Kumi means 10 in Swahili; this name would act as a nod to mother Kala, since the newborn is her 10th calf. — Usa Today, USA Today, 16 June 2026

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
• microvilli

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