variants
often Imam
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
Pastors, priests, rabbis, and imams are in the streets, courthouses, and places of worship defending immigrant communities.
—
David Ostendorf, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
During Friday prayers in the capital, the imam leading the sermon warned the US against launching any attacks.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Asgın Tunca, a Blue Mosque imam who will be receiving the pope, said the visit would help advance Christian-Muslim ties and dispel popular prejudices about Islam.
—Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
Born in Afghanistan and raised in exile, Hilmandi grew up in the shadow of his father, Baba — a former mujahideen fighter who later became an imam, writer and poet.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imam
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David Ostendorf, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
During Friday prayers in the capital, the imam leading the sermon warned the US against launching any attacks.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Asgın Tunca, a Blue Mosque imam who will be receiving the pope, said the visit would help advance Christian-Muslim ties and dispel popular prejudices about Islam.
—Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2025
Born in Afghanistan and raised in exile, Hilmandi grew up in the shadow of his father, Baba — a former mujahideen fighter who later became an imam, writer and poet.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imam
Cite this Entry
“Imam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imam. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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