imam

American  

[ih-mahm] / ɪˈmɑm /

Also imaum

noun

Islam.

1. the officiating priest of a mosque.

2. the title for a Muslim religious leader or chief.

3. one of a succession of seven or twelve religious leaders, believed to be divinely inspired, of the Shiʿites.

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imam British  

/ ɪˈmɑːm, ɪˈmɑːm, ɪˈmɔːm /

noun

1. a leader of congregational prayer in a mosque

2. a caliph, as leader of a Muslim community

3. an honorific title applied to eminent doctors of Islam, such as the founders of the orthodox schools

4. any of a succession of either seven or twelve religious leaders of the Shiites, regarded by their followers as divinely inspired

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Other Word Forms

• imamship noun

Etymology

Origin of imam

First recorded in 1605–15, imam is from the Arabic word imām leader, guide

Example Sentences

The Lebanese military has refused to inspect private properties, possibly in order not to be seen to be collaborating with Israel; in Beit Lif too, the imam said, they did not enter any houses.

From BBC

But he still speaks in the crystal-clear, melodious Arabic of one who studied literature, and recited the Quran daily as the imam of a local mosque.

From BBC

Old and young, many of their faces solemn, prayed together inside, where even the minbar, the imam's raised platform, seemed intact.

From Barron's

The imam was “praising God and expressing gratitude to those who love him and worked with God toward his release,” she added.

From Salon

But feeling alone and stuck in New York City, she turns toward this place of cultural familiarity, where the imam counsels her that she’ll be rewarded for her obedience in her next life.

From Los Angeles Times