khan
noun
(in the Altaic group of languages) a title held by hereditary rulers or tribal chiefs.
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khan
1 American
[kahn, kan]
/ kɑn, kæn /
Archaic,
cham
noun
-
(in the Altaic group of languages) a title held by hereditary rulers or tribal chiefs.
-
the supreme ruler of the Tatar tribes, as well as emperor of China, during the Middle Ages: a descendant of Genghis Khan.
-
a title of respect used in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and other countries of Asia.
khan
2
American
[kahn, kan]
/ kɑn, kæn /
noun
khan
1
British
/ kɑːn /
noun
-
-
(formerly) a title borne by medieval Chinese emperors and Mongol and Turkic rulers: usually added to a name
Kublai Khan
-
such a ruler
-
-
a title of respect borne by important personages in Afghanistan and central Asia
Khan
2
British
/ kɑːn /
noun
khan
3
British
/ kɑːn /
noun
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 )
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."
Vocabulary lists containing khan
Chinese History - Introductory
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Civilizations of East Asia and Southeast Asia, Lessons 1–3
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Chinese History - Middle School and High School
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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:
His cousin Ariq Boke, another of Chinggis Khan’s grandsons and the one who had been left to administer the Mongol homeland, declared himself the new khan of the Mongol Empire ahead of a kurultai.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
When Mongke’s brother Kublai succeeded him as great khan, the empire was beginning to divide into those who preferred the old nomadic ways and those who had adopted a settled lifestyle of wealth and trade.
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
The day Aziz became an exile is also the day she lost her father, the great khan, forever.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Ishtiaq Khan, also visiting the shop, explained that he has six children.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
And he brought in an antitrust crusader in Lina Khan to chair the city’s Economic Development Corp., the government body that the real estate community closely relies on to execute large-scale development projects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
In nearby Khan Younis, IDF drone footage showed a controlled demolition of a cluster of buildings beyond the Yellow Line.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Khan declined to directly address the allegations but said customers had largely been involved in the slaughter of animals they either brought themselves or purchased from him, with some assistance from employees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Officer Khan mumbles some kind of reply that I cannot hear.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
Definitions 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.
