maulvi

[ moul-vee ]

noun
  1. (in India) an expert in Islamic law: used especially as a term of respectful address among Muslims.

Origin of maulvi

1
First recorded in 1770–80; from Hindi, Urdu maulvī, from Persian mawlavī, from Arabic mawlawī, equivalent to mawlā “lord, master” + a suffix indicating relationship or origin; see mullah
  • Also mol·vi [mohl-vee]; /ˈmoʊl vi/; mool·vee, mool·vi [mool-vee]; /ˈmul vi/; moul·vi [moul-vee] /ˈmaʊl vi/ .

Words Nearby maulvi

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use maulvi in a sentence