Ismailian
- noun
- /ɪsˈmeɪliən/
- The spiritual leader of the Ismailians is known as the Aga Khan.
Examples
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Many Ismailians live in regions of South Asia, Central Asia, and East Africa.
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As an Ismailian, he observes religious practices unique to his branch of Shia Islam.
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The Ismailian community has a rich cultural heritage.
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Many Ismailians celebrate the birth of their Imam.
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As an Ismailian, he practices the unique beliefs and rituals of his faith.
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Many Ismailians participate in community service as part of their religious commitment.
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The teachings of the Ismailians emphasize tolerance and acceptance towards others.
Synonyms
69
4.7
A branch of Islam whose followers believe Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, should have been Muhammad's successor
2
4.1
A follower of Islam who believes Ali should have been leader after Muhammad and rejects the first three leaders
1
8.3
A Muslim who follows the group that believes Ali and his family should lead after Muhammad
1
8.7
A person who follows a branch of Shia Islam with a living spiritual leader
1
4.4
A Muslim who believes Ali was the rightful leader after Muhammad
Surface Forms
Morphology
Ismailian = Ismail (semi-transparent) = Ismail + ian
Formed by adding the productive suffix '-ian' to the proper name 'Ismail' to indicate affiliation; the morphological pattern is regular but it depends on knowledge of the proper name.
Etymology
Ismailian comes from the name Ismail, the Arabic form of 'Ishmael', a well-known figure in the Bible and the Quran. So an Ismailian is a person who belongs to the Shia group named after Ismail, which explains why the word means a follower of that tradition.