minaret

noun

min·​a·​ret ˌmi-nə-ˈret How to pronounce minaret (audio)
ˈmi-nə-ˌret
: a tall slender tower of a mosque having one or more balconies from which the summons to prayer is cried by the muezzin

Illustration of minaret

Illustration of minaret

Examples of minaret in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The building has stood since 1150, and its iconic minaret rises more than 250 feet high, visible from almost any point in Marrakesh. Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023 The medieval minarets of Herat sustained some damage, photographs on social media showed, with cracks visible and tiles fallen off. Reuters, NBC News, 9 Oct. 2023 The precinct includes the Dome of the Rock, the four minarets, the compound’s historic gates and the mosque itself. Ken Chitwood, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2023 It is known for its gorgeous domes and six soaring minaret towers. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2023 At roughly 36 feet tall, this particular minaret has stood since 1727. Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 July 2023 That legacy can be found throughout the country, from the minarets gracing Tirana’s skyline to qoftë, the popular spiced meatballs. Naomi Tomky, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2023 Over two hundred mosques in Yunnan have already lost their domes and minarets, according to Ma, adding to the more than a thousand mosques in the country’s northwest. Nectar Gan, CNN, 30 May 2023 Smoke billowed from within the crowded camp, with mosque minarets in the backdrop. Nasser Nasser and Josef Federman, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'minaret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Turkish minare, from Arabic manāra lighthouse

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of minaret was in 1682

Dictionary Entries Near minaret

Cite this Entry

“Minaret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minaret. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

minaret

noun
min·​a·​ret ˌmin-ə-ˈret How to pronounce minaret (audio)
ˈmin-ə-ˌret
: a tall slender tower of a mosque with a balcony from which the people are called to prayer

More from Merriam-Webster on minaret

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