jinni

noun

jin·​ni ˈjē-nē How to pronounce jinni (audio) ˈji- How to pronounce jinni (audio)
jə-ˈnē
variants or jinn or less commonly djinni
ˈjē-nē How to pronounce jinni (audio) ˈji- How to pronounce jinni (audio)
jə-ˈnē
or djinn
plural jinn or jinns also djinn or djinns
1
: one of a class of spirits that according to Muslim demonology inhabit the earth, assume various forms, and exercise supernatural power
2

Did you know?

Is that jinni or jinn? Djinni or djinn? Adopted from an Arabic word for demon (usually represented in our alphabet as jinnī), this word is spelled a variety of ways in English—including genie, a spelling that comes from the same Arabic word but by way of French. All of those variant spellings are used to describe a supernatural spirit from Arabic mythology that is made of fire or air and can assume human or animal form. Mythology holds that jinn (that's the plural of jinni) love to punish humans for any harm done to them and that they are the cause of many accidents and diseases.

Examples of jinni in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The jinni has kept the woman locked in a glass chest, deep in the sea, but that hasn’t stopped her from sleeping with ninety-eight other men. Yasmine Al-Sayyad, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2022 Traditionally, jinn aren't seen as good or evil, and that moral ambiguity carries over to the series. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 June 2019 Next to me was Said Suleiman Mohammed, herbalist and jinni hunter. Justin Fornal, National Geographic, 29 Jan. 2016 Although they are believed to exist in an endless variety of manifestations, negative and positive, jinn are most commonly thought to invade the homes and bodies of humans to cause distress. Justin Fornal, National Geographic, 29 Jan. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jinni.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Arabic jinnī demon

First Known Use

1684, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jinni was in 1684

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Dictionary Entries Near jinni

Cite this Entry

“Jinni.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jinni. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

jinni

noun
jin·​ni ˈjē-ˈnē How to pronounce jinni (audio) ˈjin-ē How to pronounce jinni (audio)
jə-ˈnē
variants or jinn
plural jinn or jinns
: genie

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