imam

IPA/ɪˈmɑːm/
KK[ˈaɪmæm]IPA/ɪˈmɑːm/

imam — noun

  • imamsingular
  • imamsplural

1. a Muslim who guides others through the prayers said together at a mosque, and wh

1.nounC1
Definition

a Muslim who guides others through the prayers said together at a mosque, and who often teaches people about their faith.

Example

The imam stood at the front of the mosque and began the morning prayers.

the imam leads the prayer at a mosque

Zola asked the local imam to explain a difficult passage from the Quran.

ask the imam to explain a religious text

Common collocations
  • local imam
  • lead the prayers
  • the imam of [mosque]
Synonyms
  • cleric

    general word for any trained religious leader, across many faiths

  • preacher

    focuses on giving religious talks rather than leading prayer

Usage Note

Usually preceded by 'the' or 'an' and followed by a name or a mosque ('the imam of the central mosque'). Among Shia Muslims, Imam (capitalised) also names one of the revered early leaders descended from Ali.

Common Mistakes

The imam read the mass on Sunday.
The imam led the prayers on Friday.
an imam guides Islamic prayer, not a Christian service.

Word family

  • imamate
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These three words all point to someone with a religious role, but they are not interchangeable. An 'imam' is specific to Islam: the person who stands at the front and guides the shared prayers at a mosque, and who frequently teaches about the faith. 'Cleric' is a neutral, broad term for any trained religious official in any religion — a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi, or an imam can all be called clerics. 'Preacher' highlights the act of speaking: a preacher gives sermons and religious talks, and the word is most common in Christian settings. So you would say 'the imam led the prayers', 'the cleric advised the government on religious law', and 'the preacher spoke for an hour about forgiveness'.

imam ↗cleric ↗preacher

Common collocations

Nouns

  • mosque imam
  • prayer leader

Phrases

  • the local imam
  • a respected imam

Prepositions

  • imam of

Etymology

ArabicEnglish

English borrowed 'imam' in the early 1600s from Arabic 'imām', meaning 'leader' or 'one who stands in front'. The Arabic word comes from a root tied to the idea of going ahead or setting an example — fitting, since an imam literally stands in front of the worshippers and leads them in prayer.

First known use

1613

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1