emir

Also a·meer,
Or a·mir

[uh-meer, ey-meer, ey-meer]

noun

1. a chieftain, prince, commander, or head of state in some Islamic countries.

2. a title of honor of the descendants of Muhammad.

3. (initial capital letter),  the former title of the ruler of Afghanistan.

4. a title of certain Turkish officials.

emir

/ ɛˈmɪə /

noun

1. an independent ruler or chieftain

2. a military commander or governor

3. a descendant of Mohammed

Word History and Origins

Origin of emir¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Arabic ʾamīr “commander, prince,” from ʾamara “to command, order”

Word History and Origins

Origin of emir¹

C17: via French from Spanish emir, from Arabic ' amīr commander

Example Sentences

He says each wing of the prison has an emir, or leader, who issues fatwas - rulings on points of Islamic law.

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The relationship dates to the 1990s, when Qatar’s former emir offered Hamas members sanctuary after they were expelled from Jordan.

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“It’s not like al Qaeda or ISIS, where you have a command or an emir in charge giving orders,” Hoffman said.

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As Irish hotelier Patrick McKillen tells it, he met the former emir of Qatar on a yacht in Doha to discuss a business opportunity in California, more than 8,000 miles away.

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She is expected to be at the farewells to the emir on Wednesday.

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