Islam The man who leads prayers in a mosque; for Shiites an imam is a recognized authority on Islamic theology and law and a spiritual guide.

synonym: imam.

Roget 745: master, padrone; lord, lord paramount; commander, commandant; captain; chief, chieftain; sirdar^†, sachem, sheik, head, senior, governor, ruler, dictator; leader etc. (director) 694; boss, cockarouse^†, sagamore, werowance^†.    lord of the ascendant; cock of the walk, cock of the roost; gray mare; mistress.    potentate; liege, liege lord; suzerain, sovereign, monarch, autocrat, despot, tyrant, oligarch.    crowned head, emperor, king, anointed king, majesty, imperator [Lat.], protector, president, stadholder^†, judge.    ceasar, kaiser, czar, tsar, sultan, soldan^†, grand Turk, caliph, imaum^†, shah, padishah^†, sophi^†, mogul, great mogul, khan, lama, tycoon, mikado, tenno [Jap.], inca, cazique^†; voivode^†; landamman^†; seyyid^†; Abuna^†, cacique^†, czarowitz^†, grand seignior.    prince, duke etc. (nobility) 875; archduke, doge, elector; seignior; marland^†, margrave; rajah, emir, wali, sheik nizam^†, nawab.    empress, queen, sultana, czarina, princess, infanta, duchess, margravine^†; czarevna^†, czarita^†; maharani, rani, rectrix^†.    regent, viceroy, exarch^†, palatine, khedive, hospodar^†, beglerbeg^†, three-tailed bashaw^†, pasha, bashaw^†, bey, beg, dey^†, scherif^†, tetrarch, satrap, mandarin, subahdar^†, nabob, maharajah; burgrave^†; laird etc. (proprietor) 779; collector, commissioner, deputy commissioner, woon^†.    the authorities, the powers that be, the government; staff, etat major [Fr.], aga^†, official, man in office, person in authority; sircar^†, sirkar^†, Sublime Porte.    [Military authorities] marshal, field marshal, marechal^†; general, generalissimo; commander in chief, seraskier^†, hetman^†; lieutenant general, major general; colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, centurion, skipper, lieutenant, first lieutenant, second lieutenant, sublieutenant, officer, staff officer, aide-de-camp, brigadier, brigade major, adjutant, jemidar^†, ensign, cornet, cadet, subaltern, noncommissioned officer, warrant officer; sergeant, sergeant major; color sergeant; corporal, corporal major; lance corporal, acting corporal; drum major; captain general, dizdar^†, knight marshal, naik^†, pendragon.    [Civil authorities] mayor, mayoralty; prefect, chancellor, archon, provost, magistrate, syndic; alcalde^†, alcaid^†; burgomaster, corregidor^†, seneschal, alderman, councilman, committeeman, councilwoman, warden, constable, portreeve^†; lord mayor; officer etc. (executive) 965; dewan^†, fonctionnaire [Fr.].    [Naval authorities] admiral, admiralty; rear admiral, vice admiral, port admiral; commodore, captain, commander, lieutenant, ensign, skipper, mate, master, officer of the day, OD; navarch^†.    ... show more

Roget 996: clergy, clericals, ministry, priesthood, presbytery, the cloth, the desk.    clergyman, divine, ecclesiastic, churchman, priest, presbyter, hierophant^†, pastor, shepherd, minister; father, father in Christ; padre, abbe, cure; patriarch; reverend; black coat; confessor.    dignitaries of the church; ecclesiarch^†, hierarch^†; ebdomarius [Lat.]; eminence, reverence, elder, primate, metropolitan, archbishop, bishop, prelate, diocesan, suffragan^†, dean, subdean^†, archdeacon, prebendary, canon, rural dean, rector, parson, vicar, perpetual curate, residentiary^†, beneficiary, incumbent, chaplain, curate; deacon, deaconess; preacher, reader, lecturer; capitular^†; missionary, propagandist, Jesuit, revivalist, field preacher.    churchwarden, sidesman^†; clerk, precentor^†, choir; almoner, suisse [Fr.], verger, beadle, sexton, sacristan; acolyth^†, acolothyst^†, acolyte, altar boy; chorister.    [Roman Catholic priesthood] Pope, Papa, pontiff, high priest, cardinal; ancient flamen^†, flamen^†; confessor, penitentiary; spiritual director.    cenobite, conventual, abbot, prior, monk, friar, lay brother, beadsman^†, mendicant, pilgrim, palmer; canon regular, canon secular; Franciscan, Friars minor, Minorites; Observant, Capuchin, Dominican, Carmelite; Augustinian^†; Gilbertine; Austin Friars^†, Black Friars, White Friars, Gray Friars, Crossed Friars, Crutched Friars; Bonhomme [Fr.], Carthusian, Benedictine^†, Cistercian, Trappist, Cluniac, Premonstatensian, Maturine; Templar, Hospitaler; Bernardine^†, Lorettine, pillarist^†, stylite^†.    abbess, prioress, canoness^†; religieuse [Fr.], nun, novice, postulant.    [Under the Jewish dispensation] prophet, priest, high priest, Levite; Rabbi, Rabbin, Rebbe; scribe.    [Mohammedan etc.] mullah, muezzin, ayatollah; ulema, imaum^†, imam, sheik; sufi; kahin^†, kassis^†; mufti, hadji, dervish; fakir, faquir^†; brahmin^†, guru, kaziaskier^†, poonghie^†, sanyasi^†; druid, bonze^†, santon^†, abdal^†, Lama, talapoin^†, caloyer^†.    ... show more

Dutch: imam, kalief
Polish: imam