Noun: ayatollah ,I-u'tow-lu [N. Amer], ,I-u'tó-lu [Brit]
- A high-ranking Shiite religious leader who is regarded as an authority on religious law and its interpretation and who has political power as well
"The ayatollah issued a fatwa on the controversial matter"
Derived forms: ayatollahs
Type of: religious leader
Encyclopedia: Ayatollah