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

The Pittsburgh Zoo named its new lion cub Kiazi, which means potato in Swahili. — Ross Guidotti, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026

English and Swahili are widely used in worship, alongside numerous indigenous languages, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the church’s membership. — Stephanie Triplettall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Arabs, Persians, Indians and Africans have all exchanged spices, ivory, and textiles along this stretch of the Swahili Coast. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

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

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