shah

noun

ˈshä How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ
often capitalized
: a sovereign of Iran
shahdom
ˈshä-dəm How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ-
noun

Examples of shah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The shah was admitted to the United States on October 22. Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025 Dissent was often violently quashed by SAVAK, the shah’s security service. Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation, 18 June 2025 When popular protests swept the country in 1979, leading to the shah’s overthrow, some Jews fled before the mullahs consolidated power. Roya Hakakian, The Atlantic, 10 July 2025 Beneath a formal alliance, there was a good deal of cynicism on the U.S. part about the shah’s repressive regime and use of secret police to suppress opposition. Gregory F. Treverton, The Conversation, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for shah

Word History

Etymology

Persian shāh king — more at check

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shah was in 1566

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Cite this Entry

“Shah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shah. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

shah

noun
ˈshä How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ
: a ruler of Iran until the 1979 revolution

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