ayatollah
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of ayatollah
1975–80; < Persian < Arabic āyat allāh sign of God; cf. Allah
Vocabulary lists containing ayatollah
The Middle East and Central Asia - Middle School
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The Middle East and Central Asia - High School
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Muslim Empires and the Middle East - High School
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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.
Events honoring the ayatollah throughout the week also sounded a political note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
But he also balanced out his tone by saying he would like to meet the new ayatollah of Iran, and “probably will” at some point.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
Larijani, 68, has been described as a "true insider" in Iran, close to the late ayatollah and central to the republic's nuclear policy and strategic diplomacy over decades.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
Iran’s government is an explicit theocracy with the ayatollah, the supreme leader, maintaining both a religious and political role.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026
The second, most prominent, son of the late ayatollah is in his father's ultraconservative mould.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
