maulvi

American

[maul-vee] / ˈmaʊl vi /

Also molvi

noun

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

Etymology

Origin of maulvi

First recorded in 1770–80; from Hindi, Urdu maulvī, from Persian mawlavī, from Arabic mawlawī, equivalent to mawlā “lord, master” + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; see mullah

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

maulvi

“The maulvi was sitting in the chair like he was the boss, and I was told to stay standing,” he says.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2017

After persistent knocking, a blind maulvi, Mohammed Nadeem, led by a young student, agrees to speak.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2017

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023