minaret

noun

min·​a·​ret ˌmi-nə-ˈret How to pronounce minaret (audio)
ˈmi-nə-ˌret
: a tall slender tower of a mosque having one or more balconies from which the summons to prayer is cried by the muezzin

Illustration of minaret

Illustration of minaret

Examples of minaret in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Dawn was breaking, and Max was staring out the window at the minarets and minimarts and Soviet-era apartment blocks, a big grin on his face, translating the Russian-language shop signs for me. Paul Tough, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 More than 90 percent of Kosovars are ethnically Albanian, and most are Muslim—as becomes clear looking out from the fortress above the city of Prizren, over a skyline dotted with some 40 minarets. Naomi Tomky, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2024 Standing on the Mediterranean coastline, the structure boasts the world’s tallest minaret, which looms at 869 feet, and a sprawling prayer room capable of hosting 120,000 worshippers, reports the Associated Press (AP). Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Kastellorizo Historical Collection This small museum is easy to spot: it’s housed in a mosque whose minaret punctuates the waterfront in the old Ottoman quarter. Rachel Howard, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Feb. 2024 Repeater Tourbillon–Tribute to Arabesque: Its ornate flourishes, inspired by the patterns found on the 82 domes and four minarets of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Dubai, the largest in the U.A.E., took a month to execute. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 27 Jan. 2024 The Great Omari Mosque, Gaza's oldest mosque, renowned for its minaret, has been damaged. WSJ, 30 Nov. 2023 The local government held off on the demolition, but later replaced the mosque’s domes and minarets with traditional Chinese-style pagodas. Nectar Gan, CNN, 30 May 2023 Its incredibly intricate engraving takes its design cues from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Dubai, the largest in the U.A.E., by recreating the arabesque and floral patterns of its 82 domes and minarets via line engraving and bas reliefs techniques done by hand. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 27 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'minaret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Turkish minare, from Arabic manāra lighthouse

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of minaret was in 1682

Dictionary Entries Near minaret

Cite this Entry

“Minaret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minaret. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

minaret

noun
min·​a·​ret ˌmin-ə-ˈret How to pronounce minaret (audio)
ˈmin-ə-ˌret
: a tall slender tower of a mosque with a balcony from which the people are called to prayer

More from Merriam-Webster on minaret

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