madrassa

ma·dras·sa | \ mə-ˈdra-sə

How to pronounce madrassa (audio)

, -ˈdrä- \

variants: or madrasa or less commonly madrassah or madrasah

Definition of madrassa

: a Muslim school, college, or university that is often part of a mosque

Examples of madrassa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The nunnery looked oddly like a women’s madrassa in Qom, the country’s religious centre, and the audience seemed thrilled by a female rebel challenging the stifling atmosphere. — The Economist, "Trapped in Iran," 28 Jan. 2020 Located in the Muslim-majority town of Gisenyi, at the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Islamic center houses a mosque and a madrassa, or religious school. — Annabelle Timsit, Quartz, "“There is a great awakening happening”: The contentious role of religion in educating kids," 16 Jan. 2020 In 2009 Bangladeshi forces raided a madrassa funded by Green Crescent and found weapons and extremist literature. — The Economist, "How Britain exports Islamist extremism to Bangladesh," 19 Sep. 2019 The remaining Rohingya children who attend neither UNICEF classes nor madrassas are simply left to fill their own day. — Rubayat Jesmin, The Conversation, "Without school, a ‘lost generation’ of Rohingya refugee children face uncertain future," 24 July 2019 Forced to leave Afghanistan because of his agitation against the monarchy, which was eventually overthrown, Haqqani set up a madrassa in Miran Shah, in Pakistan’s North Waziristan. — Kathy Gannon, The Seattle Times, "Death of Afghan group’s founder unlikely to weaken militants," 4 Sep. 2018 Noor’s madrassa was shut down, so Mr. Ahmed rallied parents to start a makeshift one nearby. — Niharika Mandhana, WSJ, "‘All Our Lives They Wanted to Ruin Us.’ For Decades, Myanmar Sought to Drive Out Rohingya," 23 Nov. 2018 But madrassas are not the only source of Pakistan’s Islamic education. — Madiha Afzal, Washington Post, "Malala is building more schools in Pakistan. That’s not likely to reduce support for extremism.," 7 Apr. 2018 Witnesses reached by telephone said the mosque was also a madrassa, or religious school, and that members of the Taliban had been present at the assembly, which had been organized to recognize graduates, appoint mullahs, and elevate junior mullahs. — New York Times, BostonGlobe.com, "Afghan military strike kills at least 70 at mosque," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'madrassa.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Madrassa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/madrassa. Accessed 20 Feb. 2020.

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