fatwa

noun

fat·​wa ˈfət-wə How to pronounce fatwa (audio)
ˈfät-wä
: a legal opinion or decree handed down by an Islamic religious leader

Examples of fatwa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In January, Egypt’s governmental Islamic advisory and justiciary body issued a fatwa banning the use of artificial intelligence applications for the interpretation of the Quran. Andrew R. Chow, Time, 26 May 2026 In 1994 Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was also a cleric with the rank of ayatollah, issued a fatwa forbidding the practice of self-flagellation. Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 May 2026 In fact, then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had issued a fatwa, or religious decree, against nuclear weapons, according to Shibley Telhami, the Anwar Sadat professor for peace and development at the University of Maryland. Greg Myre, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026 Former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had issued a fatwa, a legal ruling under Islamic law, banning a nuclear bomb. Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fatwa

Word History

Etymology

Arabic fatwā

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fatwa was circa 1889

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Cite this Entry

“Fatwa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatwa. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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