often capitalized
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 The incident wasn’t the first time an imam who led the mosque was killed. Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2024 The imam died at about 2:20 p.m. Wednesday, the source said. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2024 Not so long ago, that analogizing was the work of shamans, imams, and ministers. Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023 Every day, the imam said, a dozen or so new arrivals find their way there. Olivia Bensimon Todd Heisler, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023 The shooting comes months after an imam at the Omar Mosque in Paterson, about 15 miles north of Newark, was stabbed while leading prayers. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 4 Jan. 2024 The imam – a mosque’s cleric or prayer leader – was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, police said. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2024 The imam, Hassan Sharif, was taken to University Hospital in critical condition, according to Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2024 The imam later died, according to an official briefed on the probe. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 3 Jan. 2024

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

Arabic imām

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of imam was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near imam

Cite this Entry

“Imam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imam. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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