raj
noun
(in India) rule, especially the British rule prior to 1947.
Showing results for raj.
Search instead for
Rajm.
raj
American
[rahj]
/ rɑdʒ /
noun
(often initial capital letter)
Raj
1
British
/ rɑːdʒ /
noun
raj
2
British
/ rɑːdʒ /
noun
Etymology
Origin of raj
1790–1800; < Hindi rāj < Pali, Prakrit rajja < Sanskrit rājya kingdom, rule
Explanation
The raj was the period in history when the British Empire ruled over a region of South Asia that includes the modern countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In Hindi, raj means "rule" or "kingdom." Britain's control over the Indian subcontinent during the 19th and 20th centuries was officially known as British India, but it was commonly referred to as "the British Raj" or simply "the Raj." The raj officially began in 1858, and it lasted through 1947 when the region was split into two sovereign states, India and Pakistan. Today the former raj consists of five independent nations.
Vocabulary lists containing raj
South Asia - Middle School and High School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
History of India - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Chapters 27–28
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The nizam juggled between his obligations to the colonial raj and to India’s rising pro-independence leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
You don’t have to have grown up under the raj like, say, Kipling to think the city’s lush historic aura, and its towering monument the Gateway of India, are better conjured by the pre-1995 name.
From New York Times ● Mar. 12, 2014
When the license-permit-quota raj was dismantled in the 1990s, it was expected that corruption would diminish.
From Newsweek ● Jun. 12, 2011
Further in, it's the raj of the "Dada log".
From The Guardian ● Mar. 27, 2010
It has produced a large number of able and distinguished public servants of unimpeachable loyalty to the British raj.
From Indian Unrest by Sir Valentine Chirol
Having succeeded Mithali Raj as T20 captain in 2016, Harmanpreet assumed charge across all formats in 2022 and went on to guide India to some of the greatest successes in its history.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Raj, 32, hopes to restore some longstanding tenant protections that the city council recently weakened.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
At the summit, Raj Subramaniam, FedEx’s CEO, told Alan, “We are on the optimistic side.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
"Our search and rescue operation is ongoing," Dharam Raj Uprety, chief of the country's disaster authority, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
I don’t know who I’m expecting to see, but it certainly isn’t Raj.
From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
