ayatollah

noun

aya·​tol·​lah ˌī-ə-ˈtō-lə How to pronounce ayatollah (audio) -ˈtä- How to pronounce ayatollah (audio)
-ˈtə-,
ˈī-ə-ˌtō-,
-ˌtä-,
-ˌtə-
: a religious leader among Shiite Muslims
used as a title of respect especially for one who is not an imam

Examples of ayatollah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Analysts say the aging ayatollah is sufficiently pragmatic to seek to avoid wider conflagration, as long as the proxies will be able to step up. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2024 Kabul was the disaster that set off a string of geopolitical setbacks for America and the West, with Putin and the ayatollah sizing up this White House — and liking their odds. The Editors, National Review, 10 Sep. 2024 Ali al-Sistani, the grand ayatollah who is the senior religious figure for the world’s 200 million Shia Muslims, is 94. Hannah Schoenbaum and Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024 Fenton covered the downfall of communism in the USSR and the rise of the ayatollah in Iran. Alex Sundby, CBS News, 16 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for ayatollah 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ayatollah.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Persian āyatollāh, literally, sign of God, from Arabic āyatallāh, from āya sign, miracle + allāh God

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ayatollah was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near ayatollah

Cite this Entry

“Ayatollah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ayatollah. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

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