fatwa
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of fatwa
First recorded in 1985–90, fatwa is from the Arabic word fatwā
Vocabulary lists containing fatwa
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.
For over a decade the author lived in hiding, protected by the British government, until a deal was reached in which the fatwa was officially rescinded in exchange for Britain's granting diplomatic recognition to Tehran.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
Ditto for Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s encounter with wolves in the garden of his villa in Vermont, or Ruhollah Khomeini’s fatwa on Salman Rushdie.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
But he has also said they were justified because of a fatwa, or religious ruling, by Ayatollah Khomeini.
From BBC ● May 19, 2024
AP: I remember you writing about how, after the fatwa, there was a period where fiction was a struggle.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2024
He then issued a religious edict, or fatwa, that allowed image-making and the depiction of living beings for scientific and educational purposes, so long as it did not lead to idolatry.
From New York Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
