ayatollah
noun
aya·tol·lah
ˌī-ə-ˈtō-lə 
-ˈtä-
-ˈtä-
-ˈtə-,
ˈī-ə-ˌtō-,
-ˌtä-,
-ˌtə-
: a religious leader among Shiite Muslims
—used as a title of respect especially for one who is not an imam
Examples of ayatollah in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet what concerned the ayatollah–understandably enough–was the stability of his own regime.
—
Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
Video posted online showed the ayatollah seated alone on a platform as the crowd silently listened to his speech.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
The critical news, which may save Syria from a relapse into violence: Assad’s flight to exile in Moscow is a body blow to Iran’s ayatollahs and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, for whom Syria had critical importance.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 11 Dec. 2024
Those same ayatollahs see the United States as the 'Big Satan.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ayatollah 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kay Armin Serjoie, TIME, 16 Dec. 2024
Video posted online showed the ayatollah seated alone on a platform as the crowd silently listened to his speech.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
The critical news, which may save Syria from a relapse into violence: Assad’s flight to exile in Moscow is a body blow to Iran’s ayatollahs and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, for whom Syria had critical importance.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 11 Dec. 2024
Those same ayatollahs see the United States as the 'Big Satan.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ayatollah
Dictionary Entries Near ayatollah
Cite this Entry
“Ayatollah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ayatollah. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share