imam

Also i·maum

[ih-mahm]

noun

Islam.

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.

imam

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• imamship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of imam¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of imam¹

C17: from Arabic: leader, from amma he guided

Example Sentences

But he still speaks in the crystal-clear, melodious Arabic of one who studied literature, and recited the Quran daily as the imam of a local mosque.

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Old and young, many of their faces solemn, prayed together inside, where even the minbar, the imam's raised platform, seemed intact.

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The imam was “praising God and expressing gratitude to those who love him and worked with God toward his release,” she added.

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But feeling alone and stuck in New York City, she turns toward this place of cultural familiarity, where the imam counsels her that she’ll be rewarded for her obedience in her next life.

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His followers gave him the title of imam, an unusual honour for a living Shia cleric and one bestowed on him in recognition of his work on behalf of the Shia community.

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