Meanings
nounKhariji (plural Kharijis or Khawarij)
plural Kharijis · plural Khawarij · alternative Khāriji
- historicalIslamA member of an early Islamic sect who initially supported Ali, but then seceded from his army.
His keynote speech was delivered on his arrival, incognito, in al-Kufah, which at the time was a focus of Khariji dissidence.
2019, Tim Mackintosh-Smith, Arabs, Yale University Press, page 247 - derogatoryIslamA member of an Islamist terrorist organization, such as the Islamic State or al-Qaeda.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Arabicخارجي“abandoner, quitter”
- EnglishKhariji
Borrowed from Arabic خارجي (“abandoner, quitter”).
More words from Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Khariji. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Khariji
MLA
“Khariji.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Khariji. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Khariji,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Khariji.
Source: Khariji on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.