Meanings
alim1
plural ulama · plural ulema · plural alims
- An educated scholar of Islamic law; a member of the ulema class
Akram is a working alim, lecturing in mosques and universities and dispensing fatwas on issues like inheritance and divorce.
2007 February 25, Carla Power, “A Secret History”, in New York Times
Alim2
Origin
alim · noun
- Arabicعَالِم
- Englishalim
From Arabic عَالِم (ʕālim), active participle of عَلِمَ (ʕalima, “to know”).
More words from Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Alim · proper noun
- Arabicعَالِم“scholar, (specifically) expert in Islamic law and theology”
- EnglishAlim
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Edward Lane (1801–1876), orientalist. Partly from Arabic عَالِم (ʕālim, “scholar, (specifically) expert in Islamic law and theology”), use as noun of the active participle of عَلِمَ (ʕalima, “to know”), and partly from Arabic عَالِم (ʕālim, “knowing, learned, also (as noun) scholar”) from عَلِمَ (ʕalima, “to know”).
More words from Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic عَالِم
- عَالِم (ʕālim)scholar of Islamic law
Bengali আলিম
- আলিম (alim)scholar of Islamic law
Hindi आलिम
- आलिम (ālim)scholar of Islamic law
Indonesian alim
- alimscholar of Islamic law
Malay alim
- alimscholar of Islamic law
Persian عالم
- عالم ('âlem)scholar of Islamic law
Portuguese ulemá, alim
- ulemáscholar of Islamic law
- alimscholar of Islamic law
Russian али́м
- али́м (alím)scholar of Islamic law
Spanish ulema
- ulemascholar of Islamic law
Turkish âlim
- âlimscholar of Islamic law
Urdu عالم
- عالم ('ālim)scholar of Islamic law
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
alim. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alim
“alim.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alim. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alim,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alim.
Source: alim on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.