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
When immigration officials arrested a local Muslim imam earlier this month, his chaplain colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s hospital were among his most passionate defenders.
—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 25 July 2025
First, it isn’t limited to sermons by pastors, priests, rabbis, imams and other religious leaders.
—Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, The Conversation, 11 July 2025
While Christian inmates are given permission to meet with chaplains weekly without submitting requests to do so, Muslim inmates have less access to an imam — and no access in some cases, attorneys said.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2025
The local imam jailed in Butler County after losing his asylum status has a hearing with a federal immigration judge next week.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for imam
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Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 25 July 2025
First, it isn’t limited to sermons by pastors, priests, rabbis, imams and other religious leaders.
—Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, The Conversation, 11 July 2025
While Christian inmates are given permission to meet with chaplains weekly without submitting requests to do so, Muslim inmates have less access to an imam — and no access in some cases, attorneys said.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2025
The local imam jailed in Butler County after losing his asylum status has a hearing with a federal immigration judge next week.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 14 July 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 7 Aug. 2025.
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