Ishmael

[ ish-mee-uhl, -mey- ]

noun

1. (in the Bible) the son of Abraham and Hagar: both he and Hagar were cast out of Abraham's family by Sarah.
2. any outcast.

Ishmael

/ ˈɪʃmeɪəl /

noun

1. the son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's handmaid: the ancestor of 12 Arabian tribes (Genesis 21:8–21; 25:12–18)
2. a bandit chieftain, who defied the Babylonian conquerors of Judah and assassinated the governor appointed by Nebuchadnezzar (II Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 40:13–41:18)
3. rare.
   an outcast

Word History and Origins

Origin of Ishmael¹

From Hebrew Yishmāʿēl “God will hear”

Example Sentences

Ishmael found that people online begged for a Victoria's Secret Fashion show of times past that included very harmful narratives about women's bodies.

From Salon

Ishmael Daro, an editor at Democracy Now!, made a tongue-in-cheek prediction that the reaction from the U.S. political establishment would be similar this time.

From Salon

Chokurongerwa, who called himself the Prophet Ishmael, was arrested together with seven of his aides “for criminal activities which include abuse of minors.”

From Seattle Times

The period was when “Harlem became the symbol for the international black city,” as the novelist Ishmael Reed described it.

From New York Times

“His life may be in peril if made public,” the attorney, Ishmael Semenya, said during a public portion of the hearing.

From New York Times