Other forms: imams
An imam is the person who leads prayer in a mosque. The local imam, ask the imam, imam of the mosque.
In Sunni Islam it is a function rather than an ordained office — any competent adult can lead the prayer, and the mosque's imam is simply the person who usually does. In Shia Islam the Imams are a specific line of successors and the word carries far more weight. Note that the Arabic means leader.
1nounimamThe person who leads prayer in a mosque.
“The imam gave a short sermon at Friday prayers.”
imam is a religious role.
Arabic imam means a leader, from a root meaning to be in front.
Arabic
إِمَام — leader
English, today
imam
Arabic إِمَام (“leader”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Belief & Ritual