Meanings
alternative Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant · alternative Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounSynonym of ISIS.
Origin
An acronym of one English translation of one of the group's Arabic-language names, الدَّوْلَة الْإِسْلَامِيَّة فِي الْعِرَاق وَالشَّام (ad-dawla l-ʔislāmiyya fī l-ʕirāq wa-š-šām, literally “the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant”). Compare ISIS, which translates الشَّام (aš-šām) as “Syria” rather than “the Levant”.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
ISIL. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ISIL
“ISIL.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ISIL. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ISIL,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ISIL.
Source: ISIL on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.