Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who is rejected or cast out from society or home: An "Ishmael" is someone who is ostracized, excluded, or lives as an outcast.
   • A person who opposes or rebels against society: An "Ishmael" can also refer to someone who is antagonistic towards or fights against the prevailing social order.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • After the scandal, he felt like an Ishmael, shunned by his former colleagues.
  • The novel's protagonist is a classic Ishmael, a wanderer alienated from mainstream society.

Advanced Usage

• Literary and Figurative Use: The term is often used in literature and social commentary to describe an archetypal outcast or rebel.
  • In his writings, he portrayed himself as an intellectual Ishmael, constantly at odds with popular opinion.

Variants and Related Words

• Ishmaelite (noun): A descendant of the biblical Ishmael; historically, a member of an Arabian tribe.
  • The ancient tribes were often referred to as Ishmaelites.

Synonyms

• Outcast: A person who has been rejected by their social group.
• Pariah: An outcast; someone who is despised and avoided.
• Exile: A person who is expelled from their native country or community.

Different Meanings

• Biblical Reference (Proper Noun): In the Old Testament, Ishmael is the first son of Abraham and Hagar. He and his mother were cast out after the birth of Isaac. He is traditionally considered the forefather of several Arabian tribes.
  • The story of Ishmael and Isaac is foundational in Abrahamic religions.

Noun

1. a person who is rejected (from society or home)
2. (Old Testament) the son of Abraham who was cast out after the birth of Isaac; considered the forebear of 12 Arabian tribes