Kuffar
/ˈkʊf.ɑːr/noun
A plural Arabic loanword used in English for people regarded as unbelievers or nonbelievers in Islam, often with a derogatory or polemical tone.
Did you know?The Arabic root k-f-r also appears in kufr, the theological concept of rejecting or concealing religious truth; the English spelling Kuffar represents the Arabic plural kuffār.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*k-p-r
“To cover, conceal, or hide; a reconstructed Semitic root”
Ancient Arabic
Arabic
kafara
“He covered, concealed, or rejected; the verbal root later acquired theological senses”
7th Century
Quranic Arabic
kāfir
“One who disbelieves or rejects faith; literally connected with the idea of concealing or covering”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
kuffār
“Plural of kāfir: unbelievers or disbelievers”
20th Century
English
kuffar
“An English loanword used for the Arabic plural, especially in religious, political, and online discourse”
Modern English
English
Kuffar
“A plural term for nonbelievers in Islam, whose tone varies from descriptive to explicitly derogatory depending on context”