Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Jump To:
  • Mongol
    Mongol
    noun
    a member of a pastoral people now living chiefly in Mongolia.
  • mongol
    mongol
    noun
    a formerly used and now highly offensive name for a person affected by Down's syndrome

Mongol

American  
[mong-guhl, -gohl, mon-] / ˈmɒŋ gəl, -goʊl, ˈmɒn- /

noun

  1. a member of a pastoral people now living chiefly in Mongolia.

  2. Anthropology. (no longer in technical use) a person having Mongoloid characteristics.

  3. any Mongolian language.

  4. (often lowercase) (no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) a person affected with Down syndrome.


adjective

  1. Mongolian.

Mongol 1 British  
/ ˈmɒŋɡɒl, -ɡəl /

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Mongolia, esp a nomad

  2. the Mongolian language

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mongol 2 British  
/ ˈmɒŋɡəl /

noun

  1. a formerly used and now highly offensive name for a person affected by Down's syndrome

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of Mongol

First recorded in 1610–20; from French mongal, ultimately from Mongolian Mongol, possibly from mong “brave”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A spokesperson for Erdenes Mongol couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

The chart extends from the islands of the North Atlantic Ocean to the Mongol empire’s Golden Horde in what is now Eastern Europe.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2023

On his first working day in Mongolia, the government feted the pope with traditional events such a parade including men on horseback dressed as ancient Mongol warriors.

From Reuters • Sep. 2, 2023

Francis arrives in the Mongol capital Ulaanbaatar on Friday morning after an overnight flight passing through Chinese airspace, which will give him a rare opportunity to send a note of greetings to President Xi Jinping.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 31, 2023

Soon, the famous whistling arrows of the Mongol nomads would shriek through the perforated rock and find their targets.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "Mongol" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com