emir
Americannoun
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a chieftain, prince, commander, or head of state in some Islamic countries.
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a title of honor of the descendants of Muhammad.
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(initial capital letter) the former title of the ruler of Afghanistan.
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a title of certain Turkish officials.
noun
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an independent ruler or chieftain
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a military commander or governor
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a descendant of Mohammed
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of emir
First recorded in 1625–35; from Arabic ʾamīr “commander, prince,” from ʾamara “to command, order”
Explanation
An emir is a ruler or commander, especially in Africa or Arabia. Emir comes from an Arabic word for "commander." An emir is a chieftain or independent ruler who has power over a province or tribe. An emir might be a prince or just a military commander. You will only hear about emirs in places where the Arabic language has an influence.
Vocabulary lists containing emir
English Words Derived from Arabic
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The Middle East and Central Asia - Introductory
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The Middle East and Central Asia - Middle 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.
See Examples For:
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the emir of Qatar and president of the United Arab Emirates will be present for a special session on Iran later in the day on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
Trump, ahead of another meeting with the emir of Qatar, told reporters that he had already met with Zelensky in the first group session and would meet with him again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
With Noem’s attention focused on her need to travel in the style of a Persian Gulf emir, the actual administration of the department has suffered.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
He says each wing of the prison has an emir, or leader, who issues fatwas - rulings on points of Islamic law.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2025
That’s what I thought, anyway, as we rode in the sweet-smelling car, through the garden estate of the emir, past marble beds full of black tulips, to his castle by the sea.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
At one point under its new leader, Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram controlled large swathes of territory in Nigeria's north-east - and appointed "emirs" to administer some areas.
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2025
The Seljuk dynasty is named for the clan leader Saljuq, who moved south from the Oghuz state in the tenth century and came into contact, often violent, with other Turkic peoples and Abbasid emirs.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Qatar’s initial development can be attributed to the two most recent emirs of the ruling monarchy, analysts say.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 10, 2022
Starting in the 18th century, Gulf emirs came under the protection of the British Empire, which brokered truces between loosely organized tribes.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2022
Maybe he had arranged the match knowing that after years of hustling emirs at the game he would be unbeatable.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
