mogul

¹ American  

[moh-guhl] / ˈmoʊ gəl /

noun

1. a bump or mound of hard snow on a ski slope.

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Mogul ² American  

[moh-guhl, -guhl, moh-guhl] / ˈmoʊ gəl, -gʌl, moʊˈgʌl /

Also Moghul,

noun

1. any of the Mongol conquerors of India who established an empire that lasted from 1526 to 1857, but held only nominal power after 1803.

2. any of their descendants.

3. (lowercase) an important, powerful, or influential person.

   a mogul of the movie industry.

4. a Mongol or Mongolian.

5. Railroads. a steam locomotive having a two-wheeled front truck, six driving wheels, and no rear truck.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Moguls or their empire.

Mogul ¹ British  

/ məʊˈɡʌl, ˈməʊɡʌl /

noun

1. a member of the Muslim dynasty of Indian emperors established by Baber in 1526 See Great Mogul

2. a Muslim Indian, Mongol, or Mongolian

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Moguls or their empire

mogul ² British  

/ ˈməʊɡʌl, məʊˈɡʌl /

noun

1. an important or powerful person

2. a type of steam locomotive with a wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six driving wheels, and no trailing wheels

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mogul ³ British  

/ ˈməʊɡəl /

noun

1. a mound of hard snow on a ski slope

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Other Word Forms

• moguled adjective

Etymology

Origin of mogul¹

1960–65; < dialectal German; compare Austrian dialect Mugel small hill

Origin of Mogul²

First recorded in 1580–90; from Persian mughul Mongol

Explanation

If you’re the type of person who likes to be in charge, you may have dreams of becoming a mogul — that is, a powerful businessperson. The word mogul can refer to any powerful person — a studio mogul is a bigwig in the movie business, for example. The Mogul (or Mughal) Dynasty conquered India in the 16th century, and remained in power for hundreds of years. As a result, the word mogul became synonymous with "leader" or "ruler." A mogul is also a bump in a ski slope, but that root word is German.

Example Sentences

Brian Cox is best known as the media mogul Logan Roy in the TV series Succession – a role he won in his seventies after decades in the business.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

One ironic beneficiary of Starlink’s success is telecom mogul Charlie Ergen, who has used regulatory arbitrage to save his failed broadband bet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

It’s a return to form for the real estate mogul who slapped his name on everything from hotels to neckties to steaks; in his beginning is his end, you might say, with apologies to T.S.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

King Combs, the 27-year-old rapper, model and son of disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, lives at the 5,400-square-foot property with Tracy, a 32-year-old influencer and fashion entrepreneur.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

She closed the slots between her flight feathers and maneuvered the bumps like a mogul skier.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• executive
• magnate
• tycoon