Sunni
noun
Sun·ni
ˈsu̇(n)-(ˌ)nē 
1
: the Muslims of the branch of Islam that adheres to the orthodox tradition and acknowledges the first four caliphs as rightful successors of Muhammad compare shia
2
: a Sunni Muslim
Sunni
adjective
Examples of Sunni in a Sentence
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In March, Sunni Islamist gangs massacred Alawites on the Syrian coast, in attacks that left well over 1,000 people dead.
—
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 14 May 2025
But another set, which includes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, believes that a moderate, centralized Syrian government is unlikely to emerge under Sunni Islamist leadership and that Israel should prepare itself for hostility by establishing informal spheres of influence.
—David Makovsky, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
More than 100 people were killed this week in clashes involving a number of parties, including Sunni Muslim extremists not fully under the government’s control, forces from the new government and fighters from the country’s Druse minority.
—Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The strikes reflect Israel’s deep mistrust of the Sunni Islamists who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, posing a further challenge to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to establish control over the fractured nation.
—Reuters, NBC news, 2 May 2025
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Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 14 May 2025
But another set, which includes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, believes that a moderate, centralized Syrian government is unlikely to emerge under Sunni Islamist leadership and that Israel should prepare itself for hostility by establishing informal spheres of influence.
—David Makovsky, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
More than 100 people were killed this week in clashes involving a number of parties, including Sunni Muslim extremists not fully under the government’s control, forces from the new government and fighters from the country’s Druse minority.
—Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The strikes reflect Israel’s deep mistrust of the Sunni Islamists who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, posing a further challenge to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to establish control over the fractured nation.
—Reuters, NBC news, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for Sunni
Cite this Entry
“Sunni.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sunni. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Sunni
noun
Sun·ni
ˈsu̇n-(n)ē
plural Sunnis or Sunni
1
: one of the two main branches of Islam
2
: a Muslim who is a member of the Sunni branch of Islam
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