imam

noun

i-ˈmäm 

ē-, 

-ˈmam 

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

An imam at the mosque, Taha Hassane, said the center practices the lockdown drills multiple times every school year. —Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 21 May 2026

Taha Hassane, the center’s imam, praised all three victims earlier Tuesday in remarks to reporters. —Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026

Its imam, Taha Hassane, confirmed the entire school was safe, including all of the children and teachers, in a social media post shared in the hours after news of the shooting first broke. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 19 May 2026

The center's imam said Tuesday that the mosque and its community wasn't immune to threats over the years. —ABC News, 18 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Arabic imām

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1