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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Inside was a trove of riches from Tutankhamun, a pharaoh from Egypt’s New Kingdom (around 1550 to 1070 B.C.E.) who had been largely forgotten by history. Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024 Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton square off with appropriate intensity as Moses, who leads 600,000 Hebrew slaves on a perilous escape from Egypt, and his brother Ramses, the pharaoh who marshals his forces against him. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024 The route of embalming, viewing, coffin, and burial, at this stage in history, can seem a bit too Egyptian pharaoh—comically false, a parade of pageantry and expense that only goes so far to mitigate the pain of loss. Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 Egyptian archaeologists recently found an ancient sword belonging to the military of Ramesses II, the pharaoh that scholars believe was referenced in the Book of Exodus. Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pharaoh 

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 30 Nov. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on pharaoh

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