Sunni

[ soon-ee ]

noun

, Islam.

1. Also called Sunnite. a member of one of the two great religious divisions of Islam, regarding the first four caliphs as legitimate successors of Muhammad and stressing the importance of Sunna as a basis for law. Compare Shiʿite.
2. (used with a plural verb) the Sunni Muslims.

Sunni

/ ˈsʌnɪ /

noun

1. one of the two main branches of orthodox Islam (the other being the Shiah), consisting of those who acknowledge the authority of the Sunna
2. -nis-ni another term for Sunnite

Other Words From

• Sunnism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sunni¹

1620–30; < Arabic sunnī, derivative of sunnah Sunna

Example Sentences

King Hamad, a Sunni Muslim, rules a country with a Shia majority, and members of his family hold the main political and military positions.

From BBC

Ever since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Arab neighbours in the region have viewed Iran as a major threat to their security.

From BBC

As a Nato member but also a Sunni majority state, it would give the group a base from which to operate in relative safety.

From BBC

Tuesday evening’s attack destroyed one side of the four-storey building that was reportedly housing displaced people in the predominantly Sunni Muslim coastal town of Barja and sparked a fire.

From BBC

The president must be a Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim.

From Los Angeles Times