mullah

noun

mul·​lah ˈmə-lə How to pronounce mullah (audio) ˈmu̇- How to pronounce mullah (audio)
: a Muslim and especially a religious scholar or cleric who has studied Islamic law and doctrine
often used as an honorific title
mullahism noun

Examples of mullah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Forbidding the mullahs’ medieval theocratic regime, the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, atomic arms, is not just something that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and President Donald Trump want. New York Daily News, Twin Cities, 26 June 2025 Forbidding the mullahs’ medieval theocratic regime, the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, atomic arms, is not just something that Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and President Trump want. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025 There’s no evidence that the mullahs have changed their minds on sensitive issues like women’s rights or the role of religion in society, but Tamadon seems keen throughout to highlight how cinema can build bridges. Tiara Ataii, Vulture, 24 June 2025 The good news is the mullahs have been seriously degraded militarily, thanks to Israel, and are looking pretty isolated out there. Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mullah

Word History

Etymology

Turkish molla & Persian & Urdu mulla, from Arabic mawlā

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mullah was in 1613

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mullah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mullah. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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