pharaoh

noun

often capitalized
1
: a ruler of ancient Egypt
2
: tyrant

Examples of pharaoh in a Sentence

like some pharaoh of a third-world country, more interested in building monuments to himself than in creating a future for his people
Recent Examples on the Web The pyramid, which is Egypt’s largest, was built to honor the pharaoh Khufu. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2024 Hawass theorized that Nefertiti returned to Thebes based on some feminine evidence of a female pharaoh found in Tutankhamun's tomb. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2024 Finally, a small ceramic plaque discovered at the site bears the name of Amasis, a 26th Dynasty pharaoh who ruled from 570 to 526 B.C.E. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024 There is also some evidence that this was a female pharaoh — something for which there has been precedent. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2024 For decades, the Jewish people had been slaves of the Egyptian pharaohs until Moses led them out of captivity, according to Chabad.org. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 19 Apr. 2024 This declaration reasserted the populace’s duty to pay the pharaoh and his kingdom, as everything in the state was understood to belong to the pharaoh. Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024 Others took umbrage at an ancient Egyptian art work depicting manual labor, which bore a caption describing how the pharaoh’s workers periodically staged strikes. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024 Known as Ramses the Great, the pharaoh’s legacy was cemented by a slew of monuments and statues constructed in his name, both during and after his reign. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pharaoh.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pharao, from Old English, from Late Latin pharaon-, pharao, from Greek pharaō, from Hebrew parʽōh, from Egyptian pr-ʽʾ̹

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pharaoh was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near pharaoh

Cite this Entry

“Pharaoh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pharaoh. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

pharaoh

noun
pha·​raoh ˈfe(ə)r-ō How to pronounce pharaoh (audio) ˈfa(ə)r- How to pronounce pharaoh (audio)
ˈfā-rō
often capitalized
: a ruler of ancient Egypt
Etymology

Old English pharao "pharaoh," from Latin pharaon-, pharao (same meaning), from Greek pharaō (same meaning), from Hebrew par'ōh "pharaoh," of Egyptian origin

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