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Ayatollah Khomeini

Ayatollah Khomeini

10 8.0
An Iranian religious leader who led the 1979 revolution and became Supreme Leader of Iran
  • proper noun
: Ayatollah Jomeini
  • Currently, its activities are centered on reviving the ambitious nuclear power program launched by the Shah of Iran in the early 1970s—a program suspended by the Ayatollah Khomeini following the 1979 revolution.
  • Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran

Examples

  • After years of exile, the Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran, sparking celebrations among his supporters.

  • In 1979, when the Shah was deposed and Ayatollah Khomeini came in, says Meserve, Iran "basically kicked out all of the American companies."

    Academic text (2003)
  • Even Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran has emphasized that the interests of the state precede the interests of Islam.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran was facilitated by the audio cassette.

    Academic text (1995)
  • These changes resulted primarily from a set of constitutional amendments in 1989, soon after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, which altered some of the key provisions of the 1979 constitution.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The movement's ideology evolved from the ideas of two Shiite scholars, Baqr al-Sadr and Ayatollah Khomeini.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The Islamic Revolution in Iran (1978-1979), led by the Ayatollah Khomeini, was radical and intolerant of the West.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Militant Islam was promoted by Ayatollah Khomeini, who sought both a political and a cultural revolution resulting in a theocratic state ruled by and for the clerics.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Women's gains in revolutionary Iran have gone through three distinct stages, ranging from the oppressive situation of the early days of the revolution to a somewhat more moderate phase a year or two into the Iran-Iraq War, to far greater freedom since the end of the war and the death of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1988.

    Academic text (2003)
  • During the Iranian Revolution, the Ayatollah Khomeini became a symbol of resistance against oppression.

Synonyms

Khomeini
vsAyatollah Khomeini
21 7.8

Iranian religious and political leader who led the 1979 revolution and became Iran's Supreme Leader

is the same but expressed in a shorter common form
Ruhollah Khomeini
vsAyatollah Khomeini
1 8.8

Iranian religious and political leader who led the 1979 revolution and became Iran's supreme leader

states his leadership and title without naming him as national founder
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
vsAyatollah Khomeini
1 9.0

An Iranian religious leader who led the 1979 revolution and became the country's highest leader

focuses on his leadership role without stressing the founding of the republic
Ruholla Khomeini
vsAyatollah Khomeini
1 7.9

An Iranian religious and political leader who founded the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution

describes his role in the revolution and his later leadership title

Surface Forms

Morphology

ayatollah + Khomeini

This is a straightforward title + name combination: 'ayatollah' indicates a religious leader and 'Khomeini' is a proper name, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to the religious leader named Khomeini. While detailed historical or political facts about him are not derivable from the parts, the basic referential meaning is directly compositional and cross-linguistically transparent.

Etymology

Ayatollah Khomeini has a title and a place name: Ayatollah is a high religious title meaning 'sign of God', and Khomeini shows he came from the town of Khomein. So, the name tells you he was a senior religious leader from Khomein who became Iran's 'Supreme Leader' after the 1979 revolution.