A high-ranking Islamic religious leader and scholar, particularly in Shia Islam, who interprets Islamic law and leads the faithful.
From Persian 'āyatollāh,' meaning 'sign of Allah,' combining 'āyat' (sign, verse) and 'allāh' (God). The term gained international recognition in the 1970s-80s during the Iranian Revolution.
Most English speakers first learned the word 'ayatollah' in 1979 during the Iranian Revolution—it shows how world events can suddenly make foreign religious titles part of everyday vocabulary in English news and conversation!
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