mutawa

mu·ta·wa

 (mo͞o-tä′wə)

n.

1. A member of a police force, especially in Saudi Arabia, charged with enforcing adherence to Shari'a law, notably in application to public conduct and dress.

2. (used with a pl. verb) The members of this police force, considered as a group.

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[Arabic muṭṭawwa', colloquial form of muṭṭawwi', volunteer, one following the noncompulsory practices recommended in the shari'a, active participle of iṭṭawwa'a, to volunteer, contracted form of taṭawwa'a, to volunteer, reflexive of ṭawwa'a, to make obedient, factative of ṭā'a, to be obedient; see ṭwʕ in Semitic roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Mutawa - religious police in Saudi Arabia whose duty is to ensure strict adherence to established codes of conduct; offenders may be detained indefinitely; foreigners are not excluded Mutawa'een constabulary, police, police force, law - the force of policemen and officers; "the law came looking for him" Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia - an absolute monarchy occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia; vast oil reserves dominate the economy

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.