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.
Iranian state media say six days of ceremonies will span several locations across Iran and neighbouring Iraq, before the late ayatollah is buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
The late ayatollah will be buried on Thursday in his birth city of Mashhad in eastern Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 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
Definitions 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.
