Somali

1. uncountableA Cushitic language spoken mainly in Somalia, eastern Ethiopia, Djibouti, and eastern Kenya.

   Somali is the primary language of Somalia

2. uncountableSomali language and literature as an object of study.

   I'm learning Somali.

plural Somalis

1. collectivecountableAn ethnic group native to the Somali Peninsula; a Somali, a group of Somalis, the Somalis.

   Historically, Somalis were a nomadic people herding camels, goats, and sheep. Nowadays, many if not most Somalis are urbanized people.

   1 more example

   Authorized by the court to engage in racial profiling, masked federal agents continue to descend upon “Democrat-run” cities, subjecting Latinos and now Somalis to ongoing abuse.

   2025 December 19, Ryan Doerfler, Samuel Moyn, “It’s time to accept that the US supreme court is illegitimate and must be replaced”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 19 Dec 2025

2. collectivein pluraluncountableThe Somali ethnic group as a whole; the Somali.

   The Somali are an ethnic group of Cushitic origin indigenous to the Somali Peninsula. Their language is called Somali.

3. collectivecountableA citizen or resident from the country of Somalia.
4. collectivecountableA person from a Somali-majority republic, state, or region, including but not limited to: the Republic of Somaliland, the Somali region of Ethiopia (often called the Ogaden, but more neutrally the Somali region), or autonomous states within Somalia's federal system such as Puntland.
5. countableuncountableA domestic cat breed derived from the Abyssinian cat.

   Synonyms: fox cat, long-haired Abyssinian

1. not comparableOf, from, or pertaining to Somalia, the Somali people or language.