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
In short, the ayatollahs don’t have to be crazy, homicidal fanatics in order to desire a nuclear weapon.
—
John M. Crisp,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
The ayatollahs won’t make any deal that surrenders their nuclear program.
—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2026
Hundreds marched through the streets of downtown Tehran to protest the paper’s challenge to the ayatollah.
—
April White,
JSTOR Daily,
20 May 2026
In 1978, before the ayatollah came in, then the per capita GDP in Iran was about the same as for Japan and Italy.
—
CBS News,
4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ayatollah
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John M. Crisp,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
The ayatollahs won’t make any deal that surrenders their nuclear program.
—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2026
Hundreds marched through the streets of downtown Tehran to protest the paper’s challenge to the ayatollah.
—
April White,
JSTOR Daily,
20 May 2026
In 1978, before the ayatollah came in, then the per capita GDP in Iran was about the same as for Japan and Italy.
—
CBS News,
4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ayatollah
Cite this Entry
“Ayatollah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ayatollah. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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