: a legal opinion or decree handed down by an Islamic religious leader
Examples of fatwa in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In August 2022, about 33 years after the fatwa, Rushdie was stabbed on stage during a lecture in New York, which left him blind in one eye and affected the use of one of his hands.
—
Reuters, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
In October 2003, the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced a fatwa, or ruling, declaring the possession of nuclear weapons to be haram, or prohibited by Islam.
—Carol E. B. Choksy, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2024
Khamenei issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2003.
—Dan De Luce, NBC News, 8 Oct. 2024
The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who blasted the book as an insult to Islam and Prophet Mohammed, issued a religious decree, or fatwa, calling for Rushdie’s death in 1989.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for fatwa 
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.
Reuters, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
In October 2003, the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced a fatwa, or ruling, declaring the possession of nuclear weapons to be haram, or prohibited by Islam.
—Carol E. B. Choksy, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2024
Khamenei issued a fatwa against nuclear weapons in 2003.
—Dan De Luce, NBC News, 8 Oct. 2024
The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who blasted the book as an insult to Islam and Prophet Mohammed, issued a religious decree, or fatwa, calling for Rushdie’s death in 1989.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for fatwa
Dictionary Entries Near fatwa
Cite this Entry
“Fatwa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatwa. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share