imam

American  

[ih-mahm] / ɪˈmɑm /

Also imaum

noun

Islam.

imams plural

1. the officiating priest of a mosque.

2. the title for a Muslim religious leader or chief.

3. one of a succession of seven or twelve religious leaders, believed to be divinely inspired, of the Shiʿites.

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imam British  

/ ɪˈmɑːm, ɪˈmɑːm, ɪˈmɔːm /

noun

1. a leader of congregational prayer in a mosque

2. a caliph, as leader of a Muslim community

3. an honorific title applied to eminent doctors of Islam, such as the founders of the orthodox schools

4. any of a succession of either seven or twelve religious leaders of the Shiites, regarded by their followers as divinely inspired

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• imamship
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• imams
  plural

Etymology

Origin of imam

First recorded in 1605–15, imam is from the Arabic word imām leader, guide

Explanation

An imam is a Muslim religious leader. If you’re curious about a mosque, go talk to the imam, the person who leads the prayers. For a Sunni Muslim, the imam is a religious leader who provides community service and sometimes counseling. To a Shi'a Muslim, an imam is even more important—he is one of the central religious figures. Shi'a believe that God has chosen the imam to be a "perfect example" to everyone else and that an imam is free from sin. The literal meaning of imam in Arabic is "one who proceeds," from amma, "to go before."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

imam imams

Then on Thursday, Khamenei will be buried at the Imam Reza Shrine, the mausoleum of Shia Islam's eighth imam and Iran's most important pilgrimage site, in Mashhad.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

“We lost three pillars of our community,” the imam, or leader of the mosque, Taha Hassane, said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

Its imam regularly participated in interfaith prayers alongside the pastor of a local Protestant church.

From Barron's ● May 19, 2026

I met them at a mosque in Minneapolis, where the imam described how the crisis had strengthened ties across faith groups: "The ICE raid created more closeness and more brotherhood and sisterhood."

From BBC ● May 7, 2026

“Your son was seen in church crossing himself,” said the imam.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Imam Reza is the only one of the 12 Shia imams buried in Iran.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Previously, Zaidi imams had earned leadership via their standing as scholars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2025

Traditional imams in South Africa rarely, if ever, perform the marriage of a Muslim to a non-Muslim - something that Hendricks clearly had no issue with.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2025

The pavilion is also a place for pastors, imams, rabbis and other spiritual leaders to exchange ideas about how to guide people through the effects of climate change.

From New York Times ● Dec. 5, 2023

The various doubts of the imams were comforting, and drew her closer.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers