1. The office, position, or term of an imam (a Muslim religious leader or prayer leader).
Usage: Islamic religious context
2. The period during which an imam holds office.
Usage: Islamic religious context
3. In Shia Islam, the spiritual and temporal leadership of the Muslim community, believed to be divinely guided.
Usage: Shia Islamic theology

Examples

• He was appointed to the imamate of the mosque after years of religious study.
• The imamate lasted for twenty years before his successor took office.
• In Shia theology, the imamate is considered a fundamental doctrine of faith.
• The community respected his leadership during his imamate.
• Different Islamic schools have varying interpretations of the imamate.