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.
The franchise with seemingly more riches than an Egyptian pharaoh, the one that deferred $680 million of Ohtani’s salary for a decade, somehow found a way to spend less. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025 Digital pyramids Thousands of years ago, the Egyptian pharaohs had pyramids built to preserve their legacy. Patrick Van Esch, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2025 Ever since British archaeologist Howard Carter first peered into the tomb of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, 100 years ago, the mystery of the boy king's death has captivated historians and amateurs alike. Harriet Marsden, theweek, 28 Nov. 2024 Sparked by coverage of Tunisians’ success in ousting their dictator, Egyptians poured into the streets of all of the country’s major cities, demanding that President Hosni Mubarak, 82 and pharaoh for 30 years, step down. Robert H. Pelletreau, Foreign Affairs, 24 Feb. 2011 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 23 Jan. 2025.

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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