Definition of ayatollah
: a religious leader among Shiite Muslims
—used as a title of respect especially for one who is not an imam
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Recent Examples of ayatollah from the Web
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The nuclear deal offered the promise of economic improvement but mostly enriched the ayatollahs.
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Khomeini and the other ayatollahs attempted to eradicate Iran’s national identity by erasing its pre-Islamic past.
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America’s European allies would probably rejoice if Mr. Trump abruptly offered to meet the ayatollah.
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Sadr’s father and uncle were revered grand ayatollahs whose teachings guided the behavior of millions of followers and inspired a generation of Shiite Islamist activists.
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The ayatollahs, who fostered and protected the country’s transition to democracy, increasingly sound like an opposition.
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Secularism is making inroads even in the holy city of Najaf, the seat of Iraq’s ayatollahs, which has thrived on Shia pilgrimage since the American invasion.
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That would be a greater danger to both his administration and U.S. interests than the displeasure of Erdogan or the ayatollahs could ever be.
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And under the deal, the ayatollahs have no viable path to a bomb for well over a decade.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ayatollah.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of ayatollah
Persian āyatollāh, literally, sign of God, from Arabic āyatallāh, from āya sign, miracle + allāh God
Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms
Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra
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