mufti

[ muhf-tee ]

noun

, plural muf·tis.

1. civilian clothes, in contrast with military or other uniforms, or as worn by a person who usually wears a uniform.
2. a Muslim jurist expert in the religious law.
3. (in the Ottoman Empire) a deputy of the chief Muslim legal adviser to the Sultan.
4. (initial capital letter) Grand Mufti.

mufti

¹

/ ˈmʌftɪ /

noun

1. a Muslim legal expert and adviser on the law of the Koran
2. (in the former Ottoman empire) the leader of the religious community

mufti

²

/ ˈmʌftɪ /

noun

1. civilian dress, esp as worn by a person who normally wears a military uniform

Word History and Origins

Origin of mufti¹

First recorded in 1580–90, mufti is from the Arabic word muftī literally, “a person who delivers a judgment,” originally a Muslim legal adviser; sense of mufti def 1 arises from the legal adviser being a civil official

Word History and Origins

Origin of mufti¹

C16: from Arabic muftī, from aftā to give a (legal) decision

Origin of mufti²

C19: perhaps from mufti ¹

Example Sentences

Two former chief ministers of the state and the heirs of leading regional parties, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, have publicly questioned his party’s funding and alleged that he was dividing voters to favour the BJP.

From BBC

Both Mufti and Abdullah are former chief ministers of the region.

From BBC

Jerusalem, which the U.N. had designated as an internationally-administered city, was rapidly torn apart by urban warfare between Jewish inhabitants and Arab supporters of the grand mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husseini, a ferocious anti-Zionist who had been allied with Nazi Germany during the war.

From Salon

Mehbooba Mufti, a former top elected official of Indian-controlled Kashmir, held a protest with her supporters Saturday claiming that scores of her party workers were detained by the police to prevent them from voting.

From Seattle Times

Mufti, the chief of the People’s Democratic Party who is contesting the parliamentary election in the Anantnag-Rajouri district, said she complained to election officials.

From Seattle Times