shah

noun

ˈshä How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ
often capitalized
: a sovereign of Iran
shahdom
ˈshä-dəm How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ-
noun

Examples of shah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Remember that Ayatollah Khomeini followed the shah of Iran and that anarchy followed Qaddafi. Max Boot, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2023 No nation conducted shrewder diplomacy with the Islamic Republic than China, despite its former support for the shah’s regime. Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 In August 1978, China’s leader, Hua Guofeng, even visited Tehran and expressed solidarity with the beleaguered shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 The shah exiled himself in January, personally piloting a Boeing 707 out of the country. Ian Shapira, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023 The New York Times reported in 1981 that those calling for the shah’s entry had misled President Carter by exaggerating the urgency of his medical problems. Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023 But when the shah of Iran, for his own reasons, decided to settle a border dispute with Iraq and withdraw his support in 1975, Kissinger did nothing as Iraqi forces brutalized the Kurds. Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 1 Dec. 2023 He was recruited by the Mossad in 1964 and given field assignments that included Tehran during the pro-Western rule of the shah, who was toppled in the 1979 Islamic revolution. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023 The enduring hostility felt toward Israel is in no small part due to its close ties with the shah and Israel’s role in his sustained oppression of the Iranian people. Aaron Pilkington, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shah.' 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

Persian shāh king — more at check

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shah was in 1566

Dictionary Entries Near shah

Cite this Entry

“Shah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shah. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

shah

noun
ˈshä How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ
: a ruler of Iran until the 1979 revolution

More from Merriam-Webster on shah

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