sheikh

British  

/ ʃeɪk /

noun

1. 1. the head of an Arab tribe, village, etc

   2. a venerable old man

   3. a high priest or religious leader, esp a Sufi master

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Etymology

Origin of sheikh

C16: from Arabic shaykh old man

Explanation

Sheikh is a formal title for an Arabic man. It's common for tribal chiefs, religious leaders, and royal family members to be addressed as sheikh. The Arabic source of sheikh is shaykh, which literally means "old man," from a root meaning "to grow old." It's generally used as an honorific, to address a respected elder such as village leaders and family patriarchs. In Islam and Sufism, sheikhs are religious figures or scholars. A woman in a similar position of power or respect is commonly known as a shaykhah.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sheikh

This was while the sheikh wanted the Trump administration’s approval for access to sensitive A.I. chips.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

In 1982, a Kuwaiti sheikh came onto the pitch and persuaded the referee to cancel a goal.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

The intelligence operation’s manager was asked whether the support came from an individual sheikh or from the Qatari state.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

Watson said Skydance contacted an Abu Dhabi sheikh — but he was the uncle of their prospective Middle East advisor with a similar name.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2025

Though he and the sheikh were making for the same point, in regard to which they were level with one another, there was more than a mile between them.

From Across the Cameroons A Story of War and Adventure by Gilson, Charles