ayatollah
ayatollah
In the Shiite branch of Islam, a high-ranking religious authority regarded by his followers as the most learned person of his age. The ayatollah's authority rests on the infallible imam. His legal decisions are accepted as binding by his personal followers and (in the present day) by the wider community.
This entry comes from Encyclopædia Britannica Concise.
For the full entry on ayatollah, visit Britannica.com.
Learn More About
Seen & Heard 
What made you look up ayatollah? Please tell us what you were reading, watching or discussing that led you here.
