emir

or a·mir

[ uh-meer, ey-meer, ey-meer ]

noun

1. a chieftain, prince, commander, or head of state in some Islamic countries.
2. a title of honor of the descendants of Muhammad.
3. (initial capital letter) the former title of the ruler of Afghanistan.
4. a title of certain Turkish officials.

emir

/ ɛˈmɪə /

noun

1. an independent ruler or chieftain
2. a military commander or governor
3. a descendant of Mohammed

Word History and Origins

Origin of emir¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Arabic ʾamīr “commander, prince,” from ʾamara “to command, order”

Word History and Origins

Origin of emir¹

C17: via French from Spanish emir, from Arabic ' amīr commander

Example Sentences

“Apart from killing a member of the emir’s staff, it also seriously injured another person - not also forgetting the damage it regularly does to our farmlands.”

From BBC

Biden spoke Monday with the emir of Qatar — whose country, along with Egypt, has played a major role in trying to negotiate a truce and persuade Hamas to accept one.

From Seattle Times

A Cyprus government statement said the emir expressed his concern over developments in the southern Gaza city of Rafah where an Israeli military offensive is underway.

From Seattle Times

That same day, Governor Yusuf signed the law and gave the emirs of the abolished emirates a 48 hours to vacate their palaces.

From BBC

The emir also suspended several articles of the Constitution and said that the transitional period would be used to review “all aspects of the democratic process” in Kuwait, an oil-rich state along the Persian Gulf.

From New York Times