minaret
Americannoun
noun
-
a slender tower of a mosque having one or more balconies from which the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer
-
any structure resembling this
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of minaret
1675–85; < French minaret, Spanish minarete, or Italian minaretto ≪ Arabic manārah lighthouse, perhaps akin to nār fire
Explanation
A minaret is a tall, slim tower on a mosque. Traditionally, a minaret is used to call Muslims to prayer five times each day. Originally built as ventilation systems in hot climates, modern minarets are usually outfitted with speakers, so the call to prayer can be broadcast from the tower. Minarets are also visual cues to Muslims, marking a mosque's location much like the spire on a church does. Minaret is a French word that comes from the Arabic manarah or manarat, meaning "lamp, lighthouse, or minaret."
Vocabulary lists containing minaret
Built To Last: Architectural Parlance
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English Words Derived from Arabic
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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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.
Monday's itinerary includes a visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers -- with the world's highest minaret -- and the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, overlooking the Bay of Algiers.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
To reach Ghorjomi mosque, one of the biggest, we drove up hairpin mountain lanes, edged with blue hydrangeas, until we spotted the minaret.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025
Less than a kilometre from the front line, Mukhtar al-Badri Mohieddin is walking with a stick near a mosque with a damaged minaret.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2024
The minaret of a mosque was tilting to one side.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 4, 2023
Bending through a low door, I walked out to find myself standing on a narrow balcony that surrounded the minaret like a bracelet.
From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
