or Qa·dha·fi or Kha·da·fy Q0000400 (kə-dä′fē) or Gad·da·fi(gə-), Muammar al- or el- 1942-2011. Libyan political leader who seized power in a military coup d'état against the Libyan monarchy (1969) and imposed socialist policies and Islamic orthodoxy on the country. He was deposed and killed in a popular uprising (2011).