# ulema

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈʊləmə/ · frequency rank #80,077

## Definitions
1. plural of alim; the guardians of legal and religious tradition in Islam; clerics.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish علما (ulemâ), from Arabic عُلَمَاء (ʕulamāʔ, plural of عَالِم (ʕālim, “learned one”)). Doublet of ulama and olema.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ulema