Najaf

[ naj-af ]

/ ˈnædʒ æf /

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noun

a city in central Iraq: holy city of the Shiʿites; shrine contains tomb of Ali (around a.d. 600–661), founder of the Shiʿite sect.

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Also An-Na·jaf

[an-naj-af] /ænˈnædʒ æf/ .

Words nearby Najaf

naive, naively, naive realism, naiveté, naivety, Najaf, Nakasone, naked, naked as a jaybird, naked eye, naked ladies

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Najaf in a sentence

In his seminary at Najaf in Iraq, senior Shiite cleric Sayyid Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani commands the loyalty of millions.
What Ancient Laws Can Teach Us About Holding Autocrats to Account Today|Fernanda Pirie|December 23, 2021|Time
The scene of them taking that young kid to Najaf to bury him is still in my mind.
My Non-First World Problems: Letters from Iraq|Andrew Slater|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not since the Saudi and Wahhabi sack of Najaf and Kerbala in 1806 has sectarian violence in the Middle East been this extreme.
Zarqawism Lives: Iraq’s al Qaeda Nightmare Is Back|Bruce Riedel|August 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Often, the attacks he ordered in 2004 against Najaf and Fallujah are held against him.
Iraq's Next First Daughter?|Michael Hastings|March 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST

A recent fact-finding trip to Baghdad and Najaf suggests that such fears are exaggerated.
Is Iraq Shifting to Iran?|Gary Sick|November 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Clearly the Najaf hawza had no intention of playing such a role.
Is Iraq Shifting to Iran?|Gary Sick|November 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST
It was getting dark when at length we occupied the Shah Najaf; some of us got on to the top of the building to take a look round.
Forty-one years in India|Frederick Sleigh Roberts
The force was disposed in a semicircle, extending from the Shah Najaf to the barracks.
Forty-one years in India|Frederick Sleigh Roberts
The enemy evidently were determined to prevent the capture of the Shah Najaf.
Forty-one years in India|Frederick Sleigh Roberts

British Dictionary definitions for Najaf

Najaf

/ (ˈnædʒæf) /

noun

a holy city in central Iraq, near the River Euphrates; burial place of the Caliph Ali and a centre of the Shiite faith. Pop: 639 000 (2005 est)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012