Meaning
plural of alim; the guardians of legal and religious tradition in Islam; clerics.
Etymology
Origin: Arabic
Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish علما (ulemâ), from Arabic عُلَمَاء (ʕulamāʔ, plural of عَالِم (ʕālim, “learned one”)). Doublet of ulama and olema.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
ulama
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2023, 2025, 2026.