imam

[ ih-mahm ]

/ ɪˈmɑm /

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noun Islam.

the officiating priest of a mosque.

the title for a Muslim religious leader or chief.

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

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Also i·maum

[ih-mahm, ih-mawm]. /ɪˈmɑm, ɪˈmɔm/.

Origin of imam

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

OTHER WORDS FROM imam

i·mam·ship, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH imam

clergy, cleric, imam , minister, pastor, priest, rabbi

Words nearby imam

imagineer, imagineering, imaging, imagism, imago, imam, imamate, imambarah, Imamite, iman, IMAP

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use imam in a sentence

It was there, in the neighborhood of the West End, that he became an organizer again, building a small Muslim community, opening a grocery store and eventually being chosen as the imam.
The Many Lives of H. Rap Brown|Rembert Browne|November 1, 2021|Time
An imam from an Annandale mosque has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting an underage girl who sought his help in 2015, Fairfax County police said Tuesday.
Imam charged with sexually assaulting girl who sought his help, police say|Justin Jouvenal|September 21, 2021|Washington Post
Shirzadi served as the imam at the mosque for the past nine years, police said.
Imam charged with sexually assaulting girl who sought his help, police say|Justin Jouvenal|September 21, 2021|Washington Post
After his pardon and release, the imam gave interviews in which he disavowed his extremist past.
In the shadow of the towers: Five lives and a world transformed|Joby Warrick, Souad Mekhennet|September 2, 2021|Washington Post

The fiery imam Mohammed el Fazazi was notorious in Europe and North Africa for his sermons urging Muslims to embrace violent jihad.
In the shadow of the towers: Five lives and a world transformed|Joby Warrick, Souad Mekhennet|September 2, 2021|Washington Post
Imam Bheel, as locals call him, was added to a list of worldwide traffickers subject to U.S. sanctions in 2009.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Imam Enchassi also noted that when Noor left the mosque, he had joined a local conservative group that spewed anti-Muslim views.
Megyn Kelly’s Really Scary Muslim|Dean Obeidallah|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Germany, a prominent Muslim imam gave a sermon asking Allah to kill all of the “Zionist Jews.”
Europe’s Jews Punished for Israel’s War|Eli Lake|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Second, Imam Ali raised an issue that few have publicly discussed.
How We Stop the Next Boko Haram|Dean Obeidallah|May 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After praying for forgiveness, Fotros was redeemed by the Imam Ali who gave him back his wings.
Iran’s Drone War in Syria|Patrick Hilsman|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
During the last few years the Imam has kept the Czar well at bay.
Life of Schamyl|John Milton Mackie
Thus the Sultan's first physician is called Hakim effendi, and the priest in the seraglio Imam effendi.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various
The Kajar Shahs had the right to kingship only in the absence of the Imam.
Bahaism and Its Claims|Samuel Graham Wilson
The man obstinately refused to show himself, however, even turning a deaf ear to the appeals of the village imam.
Where the Strange Trails Go Down|E. Alexander Powell
On the eve of the battle, he performed his devotions at Thous, before the tomb of the Imam Riza.
The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|Edward Gibbon

British Dictionary definitions for imam

imam

imaum (ɪˈmɑːm, ɪˈmɔːm)

/ (ɪˈmɑːm) /

noun Islam

a leader of congregational prayer in a mosque

a caliph, as leader of a Muslim community

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

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

Word Origin for imam

C17: from Arabic: leader, from amma he guided

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012