imam

noun

i-ˈmäm 

ē-,

-ˈmam 

often capitalized

1

: the prayer leader of a mosque

2

: a Muslim leader of the line of Ali held by Shiites to be the divinely appointed, sinless, infallible successors of Muhammad

3

: any of various rulers that claim descent from Muhammad and exercise spiritual and temporal leadership over a Muslim region

Examples of imam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Williams appeared to be talking with the imam, who was with him in the chamber, while awaiting execution, David Lieb of The Associated Press said. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 25 Sep. 2024

The Taliban has asked imams in Afghanistan’s tens of thousands of mosques to emphasize during Friday prayers the need for environmental protection. —Rick Noack, Washington Post, 13 July 2024

The day begins with a morning prayer, known as salat al-Eid, and includes the performance of the Eid salat, followed by a sermon from the imam. —Amelia Benavides-Colón, Detroit Free Press, 5 Apr. 2024

The pope has developed a friendship with Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayyeb, the grand imam of al Azhar mosque in Cairo and a leading figure within Sunni Islam. —Victor Gaetan, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Arabic imām

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1