Pharaoh

American  

[fair-oh, far-oh, fey-roh] / ˈfɛər oʊ, ˈfær oʊ, ˈfeɪ roʊ /

noun

1. a title of an ancient Egyptian king.

2. (lowercase)  any person who uses power or authority to oppress others; tyrant.

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Pharaoh British  

/ ˈfɛərəʊ, fɛəˈrɒnɪk /

noun

1. the title of the ancient Egyptian kings

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pharaoh Cultural  

1. The title of the kings of ancient Egypt (see also Egypt). In the story of Joseph and his brothers, a pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of his entire kingdom. In the Book of Exodus, a pharaoh repeatedly refuses the request of Moses to let the Israelites leave the country and does not give in until after the worst of the ten plagues of Egypt.

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Other Word Forms

• Pharaonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Pharaoh

before 900; Middle English Pharao, Old English Pharaon < Latin pharaō < Greek pharaṓ (stem pharaōn- ) < Hebrew phārʿōh < Egyptian pr house + ʿʾ great; originally a designation for the palace, but used to refer to the king from the time of Akhenaton (14th cent. b.c.); -h restored from Hebrew

Example Sentences

The Dutch government said the sculpture of a high-ranking official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III is "deeply meaningful to Egypt's identity".

From BBC

A separate building was designed for the 4,600-year-old solar boat of Pharaoh Khufu, one of the largest and oldest wooden artefacts from antiquity.

From Barron's

Do we turn around and fight the Pharaoh on the shores of the Red Sea, or do we cross?

From The Wall Street Journal

Appeared in the March 8, 2025, print edition as 'A Pharaoh’s Tomb in Luxor Is Unearthed, First in a Century'.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s kind of like Ramses in the movie “The Ten Commandments” when he says, “Command them to kneel before Pharaoh.”

From Salon

Related Words

• emperor
• king
• monarch
• ruler