What is "marja'"

In Shia Islam, marjaʿ (Plural: marājiʿ), also known as a ''' marjaʿ taqlīdī ''' or ''' marjaʿ dīnī ''' , literally means "source to imitate/follow" or "religious reference", is a label provided to the highest level Shia authority, a Grand Ayatollah with the authority to make legal decisions within the confines of Islamic law for followers and less-credentialed clerics. After the Qur'an and the prophets and imams, marājiʿ are the highest authority on religious laws in Usuli Shia Islam.