jinn

American

[jin] / dʒɪn /

Also jinni

noun

Islamic Mythology.

any of a class of spirits, lower than the angels, capable of appearing in human and animal forms and influencing humankind for either good or evil.

jinn British

/ dʒɪn /

noun

(often functioning as singular) the plural of jinni

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of jinn

1675–85; plural of Arabic jinnī demon

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In late November, Israeli forces entered the town of Beit Jinn, less than 10 miles from the border with Israel, to arrest two suspected militants.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

We visited the border village of Beit Jinn, which was raided by IDF troops on 28 November.

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2025

“If Sarah had rubbed Aladdin’s lamp and commanded the Jinn to provide every luxury her most vivid imaginings could picture, the Jinn’s efforts would yet be far removed from the actuality.”

From Washington Post • Sep. 3, 2022

Could we see a “Force ghost” version of Kenobi’s teacher Qui-Gon Jinn, played by Liam Neeson?

From Seattle Times • May 25, 2022

Jinn, efrits, ghuls, wraiths—they belong in Tribal myth and legend.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023