Mahdi

[ mah-dee ]

noun

, plural Mah·dis.

1. the Muslim messiah, an expected spiritual and temporal ruler destined to establish a reign of righteousness throughout the world.
2. any of various claimants to this role, especially Muhammad Ahmed, who established an independent government in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan that lasted until 1898.

Mahdi

/ ˈmɑːdɪ /

noun

1. Mahdi?18431885MSudanesePOLITICS: military leader the title assumed by Mohammed Ahmed. ?1843–85, Sudanese military leader, who led a revolt against Egypt (1881) and captured Khartoum (1885)
2. Islam any of a number of Muslim messiahs expected to convert all mankind to Islam

Derived Forms

• ˈMahdist, nounadjective
• ˈMahdism, noun

Other Words From

• Mahdism [mah, -diz-, uh, m], noun
• Mahdist noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mahdi¹

First recorded in 1790–1800, Mahdi is from the Arabic word mahdīy he who is guided

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mahdi¹

Arabic mahdīy one who is guided, from madā to guide aright

Example Sentences

Mahdi Manji, director of public policy at the Inner City Law Center, said that by not allowing affordable housing in the single-family-home areas, the rezoning proposal is “playing at the edges” of integrating communities.

From Los Angeles Times

“For every wise player, there comes a moment when the cost benefit calculation shifts and all strategies are reset,” said Mahdi Mohammadi, the chief adviser to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament.

From New York Times

Mohammed Mahdi, who was among hundreds of Palestinians who returned to the area, described a scene of “total destruction.”

From Seattle Times

“We’ve only been open seven or eight months and this is our first season. It’s gone better than we could have dreamt of,” said the hall’s general manager, Syed Hassan Mahdi.

From Seattle Times

“There are stories of young men who defiantly walked the streets with slices of the fruit, risking arrest from Israeli soldiers,” Jerusalem-born author Mahdi Sabbagh wrote.

From Seattle Times