fatwa

noun

fat·​wa ˈfət-wə How to pronounce fatwa (audio)
ˈfät-wä
: a legal opinion or decree handed down by an Islamic religious leader

Examples of fatwa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who blasted the book as an insult to Islam and Prophet Mohammed, issued a religious decree, or fatwa, calling for Rushdie’s death in 1989. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 24 July 2024 The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who described the book as an insult to Islam and Prophet Mohammed, issued a religious decree, or fatwa, calling for Rushdie’s death in 1989. Nicki Brown, CNN, 24 July 2024 The depiction of the prophet Muhammad in Rushdie’s 1988 book, The Satanic Verses, sparked the ire of Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, who issued a fatwa the next year calling for Rushdie’s death. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2024 Rushdie, 76, has now lived a significant portion of his life under a fatwa from the Iranian government calling for his death. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for fatwa 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fatwa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Arabic fatwā

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fatwa was circa 1889

Dictionary Entries Near fatwa

Cite this Entry

“Fatwa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatwa. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.

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