Jump to:

• Mongol
  Mongol

  noun

  a member of a pastoral people now living chiefly in Mongolia.
• mongol
  mongol

  noun

  a formerly used and now highly offensive name for a person affected by Down's syndrome

Mongol

American  

[mong-guhl, -gohl, mon-] / ˈmɒŋ gəl, -goʊl, ˈmɒn- /

noun

1. a member of a pastoral people now living chiefly in Mongolia.

2. Anthropology. (no longer in technical use) a person having Mongoloid characteristics.

3. any Mongolian language.

4. (often lowercase) (no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) a person affected with Down syndrome.

---

adjective

1. Mongolian.

Mongol ¹ British  

/ ˈmɒŋɡɒl, -ɡəl /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Mongolia, esp a nomad

2. the Mongolian language

---

mongol ² British  

/ ˈmɒŋɡəl /

noun

1. a formerly used and now highly offensive name for a person affected by Down's syndrome

---

Other Word Forms

• non-Mongol
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Mongol

First recorded in 1610–20; from French mongal, ultimately from Mongolian Mongol, possibly from mong “brave”

Example Sentences

A spokesperson for Erdenes Mongol couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

I'm obsessed with Genghis Khan and the history of the Mongol Empire.

From Salon • Apr. 2, 2025

The chart extends from the islands of the North Atlantic Ocean to the Mongol empire’s Golden Horde in what is now Eastern Europe.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2023

He gave the president a copy of a missive between Pope Innocent IV and the third Mongol emperor, Guyug, in 1246.

From Reuters • Sep. 2, 2023

As Samir crawled over to check my knee, I said, “That’s the Mongol gunner, right?”

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri