marjaiya

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic مَرْجِعِيَّة (marjiʕiyya)

Noun

marjaiya (plural not attested)

1. (Islam) The supreme religious body of ayatollahs in Shi'ism.
   • 2015 November 1, Tim Arango, “In Bid to Counter Iran, Ayatollah in Iraq May End Up Emulating It”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     The role of the marjaiya is to be the protector of the rights of society.