u·le·ma or u·la·ma (o?o?l?-mä?)pl.n. Muslim scholars trained in Islam and Islamic law.[Turkish ‘ulem?, from Arabic ‘ulam?’, wise men, pl. of ‘?lim, wise, learned, active participle of ‘alima, to know; see ?lm 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.ulema (?u?l?m?) n (Islam) a variant of ulama1Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014’u?la?ma or u?le?ma (?u l??m?) n.pl. the body of scholars who are authorities on Muslim religion and law. [1680?90;