often capitalized
1
: the prayer leader of a mosque
2
: a Muslim leader of the line of Ali held by Shiites to be the divinely appointed, sinless, infallible successors of Muhammad
3
: any of various rulers that claim descent from Muhammad and exercise spiritual and temporal leadership over a Muslim region
Examples of imam in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Aga Khan Foundation announced on its website that Karim Al-Hussaini, the 49th hereditary imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, died on Tuesday in Portugal, surrounded by his family.
—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Efforts to maintain calm appear for now to be coming in the form of public statements or suggested sermons for imams appealing to people’s restraint.
—Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
The imam said the prayer service gathered people of all faiths.
—Tavleen Tarrant, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025
The complaint also asks for a permanent injunction ordering the prison to make certain policy changes, including allowing the inmates to observe Ramadan, engage in weekly communal prayer, meet regularly with an imam and access religious items.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2025
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Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Efforts to maintain calm appear for now to be coming in the form of public statements or suggested sermons for imams appealing to people’s restraint.
—Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
The imam said the prayer service gathered people of all faiths.
—Tavleen Tarrant, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025
The complaint also asks for a permanent injunction ordering the prison to make certain policy changes, including allowing the inmates to observe Ramadan, engage in weekly communal prayer, meet regularly with an imam and access religious items.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imam
Cite this Entry
“Imam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imam. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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