shah

noun

ˈshä How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ
often capitalized
: a sovereign of Iran
shahdom
ˈshä-dəm How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ-
noun

Examples of shah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This Cold War-era cooperation ramped up in the 1960s and 1970s until being abruptly cut in 1979 with the Islamic Revolution that ousted the shah and put in place the nation's current Islamist government. Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025 Iran’s governments, going back to the pre-revolution era of the shah, have stoutly defended Persian Gulf as the only legitimate name. Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 11 May 2025 In 1908, oil was discovered in southern Persia by a British businessman who had secured a concession to drill from the Persian shah. Helen Thompson, Foreign Affairs, 27 Sep. 2022 At the time, Iran was ruled by Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the second shah in the Pahlavi dynasty. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for shah

Word History

Etymology

Persian shāh king — more at check

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shah was in 1566

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Cite this Entry

“Shah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shah. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

shah

noun
ˈshä How to pronounce shah (audio)
ˈshȯ
: a ruler of Iran until the 1979 revolution

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