Muhammad Ali

British  

/ ˈælɪ, ɑːˈliː, ˈɑːlɪ /

noun

1. original name Cassius ( Marcellus ) Clay. born 1942, US boxer, who was world heavyweight champion three times (1964–67; 1974–78; 1978)

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Ali, Muhammad Cultural  

1. An African-American boxer of the twentieth century, who was world champion in the heavyweight class for several years between 1964 and 1979. He was known in his boxing career for his flamboyant personality and aggressive self-promotion, as well as for his superior boxing ability and style. His boxing strategy, he said, was to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” A Black Muslim, Ali was originally named Cassius Clay. After he refused for reasons of conscience to serve in the armed forces in the 1960s, several boxing associations revoked his title as world champion, but he regained it later. During his boxing career he was extremely popular in Africa, and after his retirement he traveled there as a goodwill ambassador.

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Example Sentences

Cover images of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and other superstars are emblazoned in the memories of fans who eagerly awaited the title to arrive in the mail each week.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Sitting with friends, Muhammad Ali, 22, said that, despite the warplanes roaring over Baghdad day and night, the war hadn't affected him.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

The nizam juggled between his obligations to the colonial raj and to India’s rising pro-independence leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Dawn newspaper - the oldest in Pakistan, founded in 1941 by the country's founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah - has taken a financial hit for its reporting.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

Ben would like to name it Muhammad Ali, because, just like Muhammad Ali, the minivan takes a punch and keeps going.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green