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Mah·di

(mädē)

n. pl. Mah·dis
Islam

a. The messiah prophesied to appear at the world's end and establish a reign of peace and righteousness.

b. In Twelver Shia belief, the 12th imam, who is expected to emerge from occultation to fulfill this role.

2. A person who claims to be or is seen as the messiah.

[Arabic mahdī, rightly guided one, Mahdi, passive participle of hadā, to lead; see hdy in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

Mahdism n.

Mahdist n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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