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• khan
  khan

  noun

  (in the Altaic group of languages) a title held by hereditary rulers or tribal chiefs.
• Khan
  Khan

  noun

  See Imran Khan

khan

¹ American  

[kahn, kan] / kɑn, kæn /

Archaic, cham

noun

1. (in the Altaic group of languages) a title held by hereditary rulers or tribal chiefs.

2. the supreme ruler of the Tatar tribes, as well as emperor of China, during the Middle Ages: a descendant of Genghis Khan.

3. a title of respect used in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and other countries of Asia.

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khan ² American  

[kahn, kan] / kɑn, kæn /

noun

1. an inn or caravansary.

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khan ¹ British  

/ kɑːn /

noun

1. 1. (formerly) a title borne by medieval Chinese emperors and Mongol and Turkic rulers: usually added to a name

      Kublai Khan

   2. such a ruler

2. a title of respect borne by important personages in Afghanistan and central Asia

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Khan ² British  

/ kɑːn /

noun

1. See Imran Khan

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khan ³ British  

/ kɑːn /

noun

1. an inn in Turkey, certain Arab countries, etc; caravanserai

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Etymology

Origin of khan¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English Ca(a)n, Chan, ultimately from Turkic Khān, apparently contraction of Khāgān, equivalent to Turkish kağan “ruler”

Origin of khan²

1350–1400; < Arabic < Persian; replacing Middle English alchan < Arabic ( al the + khān )

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Explanation

Historically, khans were Central Asian emperors, nobles, and military leaders. One of the most famous was Genghis Khan, ruler of the 13th-century Mongol empire. The power held by someone with the title of khan depended on the country or region. In some places a khan was the most powerful ruler, and in others the khan merely controlled an army or small nomadic tribe. While the use of khan as a title faded after the Middle Ages, it became a common surname among South and Central Asian Muslims. Khan's Turkic root is khaqan, or "ruler."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

khan Khan

While Berke was the first Mongol ruler and khan of the Golden Horde to embrace Islam, not all his successors were Muslim.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

Continued success in conquest had been a major factor in keeping rivals from unnecessarily challenging the rule of the chosen great khan or devolving his power.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

London Mayor Sadiq khan said he was “heartbroken” by the news.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2021

In the statue, the first large-scale rendition in the U.S. of the sacred figure, Mary is depicted standing on a cloud, wearing a traditional Vietnamese ao dai dress and khan dong hat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2021

Aziz’s dad was a khan for owning all the fields.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Imran Khan KC, defending, argued the trial judge had counted overlapping aggravating factors more than once.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Khan said that such supply constraints are expected to continue into next year, particularly impacting iPads and Macs.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Khan said he takes a detour to get to the corner shop.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

The U.K. wants more whistleblowers to come forward with information about financial crimes and is looking to its counterparts in the U.S. and Canada for tips, the Serious Fraud Office told Risk Journal’s Yusuf Khan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

My grandmother was a part of this hardscrabble crowd: she had rented a three-room flat on Hayat Khan Lane, just a short walk from the station.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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