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Definition of mali

mali

/ˈmɑː.li/
Ma · li
Plural:malis
•
Adjective:Malian
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mali Lexical Profile

mali Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A landlocked country in West Africa, historically the center of the wealthy Mali Empire, largely situated in the Sahara and Sahel regions.

2

A gardener or a member of a gardening and agricultural caste in the Indian subcontinent.

Example

"The mali spent the early morning pruning the rose bushes and watering the courtyard garden."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for mali

• Rhymes for mali

• Nearby Words

malformation
malformed
malfunction
mali
mali cobra
malian
malibu

Word Origin & Etymology

The country is named after the historical Mali Empire; in Manding languages, 'mali' means 'hippopotamus', an animal symbolizing strength. The unrelated South Asian term for a gardener derives from Sanskrit 'mālin', meaning 'garland-maker'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mali. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mali
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