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

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Etymology

Origin of imam

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

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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

At Race Course, when she had nothing, the mosque's imam or a neighbour might give her money for flour.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

He came from a modest background: His father was a schoolteacher and an imam at a local mosque.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 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

"My imam is gonna love meeting you," I said.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Just a few weeks ago, Talarico’s campaign met with local Muslim officials and community members in Dallas, where he emphasized a bill he filed that would include Muslim imams as legally recognized marriage officiants.

From Slate ● Nov. 2, 2026

Kano imams also insist on medical checks for intending couples.

From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2025

The following morning, Audrey F was told that the excluded student's father Brahim Chnina was outside the school with another man, Abdelhakim Sefrioui, who wrongly claimed to be acting on behalf of French imams.

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2024

She would ask them a question, just as she had asked questions of her pastors, and the imams would try to answer, but often they wouldn’t know.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

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