Definition of "imam" []

• In law and theology, the caliph who is successor to Muhammad as the lawful temporal leader of the Islamic community. (noun)
• The male prayer leader in a mosque. (noun)
• The Muslim worshiper who leads the recitation of prayer when two or more worshipers are present. (noun)
• A male spiritual and temporal leader regarded by Shiites as a descendant of Muhammad divinely appointed to guide humans. (noun)
• An earthly representative of the 12 such leaders recognized by the majority form of Shiism. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Mr. Awlaki, who was born in New Mexico and spent years in the United States as an imam, is in hiding in Yemen."
• "Still, the imam is frequently accused of being a sellout because he associates with Christians."
• "If men lead prayer, we assume the imam is closer to God, so we want to lead prayer too."