dhimma

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/ˈdɪmə//ˈðɪm.(m)ɑ/

noun

A form of social contract in a state under sharia law granting special status to all or certain non-Muslim subjects, providing rights of residence in return for taxes.

Scrabble 14
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Meanings

noundhimma (plural dhimmas)

plural dhimmas

  1. A form of social contract in a state under sharia law granting special status to all or certain non-Muslim subjects, providing rights of residence in return for taxes.
  2. A dhimmi.

Origin

Unadapted borrowing from Arabic ذِمَّة (ḏimma, “protection, custody”), from ذَمَّ (ḏamma, “to blame”).

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Cite this entry
APA

dhimma. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dhimma

MLA

“dhimma.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dhimma. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dhimma,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dhimma.

Source: dhimma on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.