noun
Uncommon
imam
EE-mahm
Imam (noun) means a person who leads prayers in a mosque. Example: “The imam delivered the Friday sermon to a packed mosque.”
noun
1
A person who leads prayers in a mosque.
"The critically low level of rainfall in the second half of 2020 – approaching 50% year on year for November – led the religious affairs directorate to instruct imams and their congregations to pray for rain last month."
— Bethan McKernan, Turkey drought: Istanbul could run out of water in 45 days (2021)
"Sheik Mohammad Seyed Tantawi, Egypt’s highest-ranking imam, led the prayers over the coffin, covered with an Egyptian flag."
— Howard Blum, Who Killed Ashraf Marwan? (2007)
"In the 1980s, roughly six hundred young Algerian men, many of them protégés of Muslim Brothers from Egypt and Wahhabi imams from Saudi Arabia, went to Afghanistan to join the anti-Soviet jihad."
— London Review of Books (2004)
"The imam delivered the Friday sermon to a packed mosque."
2
In Shia Islam, a religious leader regarded as a spiritual successor to the Prophet Muhammad.
"Shia Muslims recognize a line of twelve imams descended from Muhammad."
How to use imam
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA Muslim worship leader, or, in Shia Islam, a recognized spiritual successor of Muhammad.
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Word forms
- Plural
- imams
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The _____ delivered the Friday sermon to a packed mosque.
Etymology
From Arabic imam, meaning "leader."
Synonyms
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imaum
Frequently asked questions
What does “imam” mean?
The word “imam” means a person who leads prayers in a mosque. In plain terms, a Muslim worship leader, or, in Shia Islam, a recognized spiritual successor of Muhammad.
How do you pronounce “imam”?
“Imam” is pronounced EE-mahm (/ˈiːmɑːm/ in IPA).
How do you use “imam” in a sentence?
Here is “imam” used in a sentence: “The imam delivered the Friday sermon to a packed mosque.”
What part of speech is “imam”?
“Imam” is a noun.
Where does the word “imam” come from?
The word “imam” comes from Arabic. From Arabic imam, meaning "leader.".
Is “imam” a common word?
“Imam” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “imam” have?
“Imam” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who leads prayers in a mosque.
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