n.
Variant: also she · rif
Pronunciation: sh ə - ' r ē f
Function: noun
Etymology: Arabic shar ī f, literally, illustrious
Date: 1599
: a descendant of the prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima broadly : one of noble ancestry or political preeminence in predominantly Islamic countries
– sha · rif · ian \ - ' r ē -f ē - ə n \ adjective