reggae

American  

[reg-ey] / ˈrɛg eɪ /

noun

1. a style of Jamaican popular music blending blues, calypso, and rock-'n'-roll, characterized by a strong syncopated rhythm and lyrics of social protest.

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reggae British  

/ ˈrɛɡeɪ /

noun

1. a type of West Indian popular music having four beats to the bar, the upbeat being strongly accented

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reggae Cultural  

1. A form of pop music that originated in Jamaica, combining elements of calypso and rhythm and blues (see blues) with a strongly accentuated offbeat. Bob Marley was the first internationally known reggae musician.

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Etymology

Origin of reggae

< Jamaican English, respelling of reggay (introduced in the song “Do the Reggay” (1968) by Frederick “Toots” Hibbert), a dance name based on rege, *strege a dowdy or raggedy fellow; compare rege-rege ragged clothing, quarrel, row

Explanation

Reggae is a popular style of music that began in Jamaica and often has political and spiritual themes. Bob Marley, who died in 1981, is still the most well-known reggae musician. The origins of the word reggae are a bit unclear, although most experts think it comes from the Jamaican English rege-rege, which means both "a quarrel or protest" and "ragged clothing." It first appeared in the title of a Toots and the Maytals song, "Do the Reggay," in 1968. Reggae grew out of ska and rocksteady, slowing the rhythm and adding a distinctive upbeat. Reggae is closely connected with the Rastafarian religion.

Example Sentences

Guitars from the Cimarons, Britain’s first reggae band, and the pork-pie hat that adorned the Specials’ Neville Staple.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

The permanent galleries, “Why We Make,” are what reggae DJs call a mash-up.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

West London reggae artist Hollie Cook has received about £5,000 to help cover the estimated £5,500 loss she would have made on her current tour - thanks to band fees, travel and accommodation.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Stevens: Billy was listening to a lot of reggae.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

The whine of the alarms clashes sharply with the chill reggae music.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer