Shaikh al-Islam

noun

¦shāˌkalə̇¦släm,

¦shīˌk-

variants or Sheikh ul Islam

-ku̇l-

in the Ottoman Empire

: the chief judge of any of various large Muslim cities

especially : the grand mufti of Constantinople

Word History

Etymology

Arabic shaykh al-islām

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!