shah

noun

ˈshä How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ
variants often Shah
Synonyms of shahnext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So the same establishment that had once helped push a Qajar shah toward constitutionalism helped pull a Pahlavi shah back from exile and back into absolutism. Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026 The Islamic Revolution that toppled the shah mocked the idea of hereditary succession, and boasted that scholarship alone—religious merit—determined their choice of leader. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026 For decades before clerical rule, Iran endured absolute monarchy under the shah. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026 The coup ended Iran’s first experiment with democracy and ushered in over two decades of dictatorship under the shah. Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shah

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shah. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

shah

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

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