Word
ayatollah
Phoneticsay·a·tol·lah
US/ˌaɪəˈtoʊɫə/
UK/ˈaɪɐtˌɒlɐ/
Definition
n. a high-ranking religious leader in the Islamic faith, especially in Iran. People use this title to show great respect for someone who is an expert in religious law.
n. a high-ranking Islamic cleric, specifically one who has attained the rank of marja' in Twelver Shia Islam. The title is often used in political and religious contexts to denote a person of significant spiritual authority.
Examples
“The ayatollah gave a speech on religious law.”
“After the leader's death, the ayatollah was chosen to lead the country's religious council.”
“The ayatollah's influence extends beyond the mosque, as his interpretations of Islamic jurisprudence often guide the legal and social policies of the state.”
Examples
simple
“The ayatollah gave a speech on religious law.”
contextual
“After the leader's death, the ayatollah was chosen to lead the country's religious council.”
complex
“The ayatollah's influence extends beyond the mosque, as his interpretations of Islamic jurisprudence often guide the legal and social policies of the state.”
Real-World Examples
“Masoud Pezeshkian and Mohsen Rezaei, right, at a memorial for Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in July.” “Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment of hard-line loyalists to top jobs suggests he is prepared to keep the country on a war footing and to quash domestic dissent.” Etymology
Borrowed from Iranian Persian آیَتُاللّٰه (âyato-l-lâh), from Classical Persian آیَةُاللّٰه (āyatu-l-lāh), from Arabic آيَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ (ʔāyatu llāhi, “sign of God”, from آيَة (ʔāya, “sign”) + اللّٰه (allāh, “God”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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