Khamenei

American

[khah-muh-ney, kah‑, khah-me-ney] / ˌxɑ məˈneɪ, ˌkɑ‑, ˌxɑ mɛˈneɪ /

noun

Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini, born 1939, chief Islamic leader of Iran since 1989.

Khamenei British

/ ˌxɑməˈnɪ /

noun

Ayatollah Seyed Ali (ˈseɪjət). born 1940, Iranian political and religious leader: president (1981–89); supreme leader from 1989

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mojtaba Khamenei has assumed the role of supreme leader following the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war on 28 February.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

His second son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeded him on 8 March but has not been seen in public since.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

The situation has been more confused since the killing of Ali Khamenei, who was leader since 1989 and had the final say on all major issues, making his stance clear in regular televised speeches.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

At the center is Mojtaba Khamenei, who was chosen by clerics after surviving the airstrike that killed his father and several other members of his family.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Ayatollah Khamenei was Iran’s Supreme Cleric: the absolute religious and governmental authority.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023