variants
or less commonly sherif
: a descendant of the prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima
broadly
: one of noble ancestry or political preeminence in predominantly Islamic countries
she·rif
less common spelling of sharif
: a descendant of the prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima
broadly
: one of noble ancestry or political preeminence in predominantly Islamic countries
Examples of sharif in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ursula Lindsey,
The New York Review of Books,
22 Oct. 2020
Nick Danforth,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Nov. 2014
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Noun
The unlikely kingdom was a consolation prize for Abdullah, the second son of Hussein, the sharif of Mecca, whose family, the Hashemites, were descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
—
Ursula Lindsey,
The New York Review of Books,
22 Oct. 2020
Noun
Most famous was Husayn ibn Ali, sherif of Mecca, who is known to Lawrence of Arabia fans for his leading role in the Arab Revolt.
—
Nick Danforth,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Nov. 2014
Cite this Entry
“Sharif.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharif. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationBiographical Definition
Sharif
biographical name
Sha·rif
shä-ˈrēf 
Nawaz 1949– prime minister of Pakistan (1990–93; 1997–99; 2013–2017)
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