Pharaoh

American  

[fair-oh, far-oh, fey-roh] / ˈfɛər oʊ, ˈfær oʊ, ˈfeɪ roʊ /

noun

1. a title of an ancient Egyptian king.

2. (lowercase) any person who uses power or authority to oppress others; tyrant.

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Pharaoh British  

/ ˈfɛərəʊ, fɛəˈrɒnɪk /

noun

1. the title of the ancient Egyptian kings

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pharaoh Cultural  

1. The title of the kings of ancient Egypt (see also Egypt). In the story of Joseph and his brothers, a pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of his entire kingdom. In the Book of Exodus, a pharaoh repeatedly refuses the request of Moses to let the Israelites leave the country and does not give in until after the worst of the ten plagues of Egypt.

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Other Word Forms

• Pharaonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Pharaoh

before 900; Middle English Pharao, Old English Pharaon < Latin pharaō < Greek pharaṓ (stem pharaōn- ) < Hebrew phārʿōh < Egyptian pr house + ʿʾ great; originally a designation for the palace, but used to refer to the king from the time of Akhenaton (14th cent. b.c.); -h restored from Hebrew

Explanation

In ancient Egypt, a king was known as a pharaoh. Ramses the Great, one of the most powerful pharaohs, ruled Egypt for almost 70 years. The pharaohs played important roles in both religious and everyday life — they were viewed as emissaries between mortals and gods. These monarchs were also military commanders, landowners, and tax collectors. The spiritual component of a pharaoh's job included choosing sites for new temples and leading religious ceremonies. Today, we know several pharaohs mainly from their mummified remains found in tombs by archaeologists. Pharaoh comes from an Egyptian root meaning "great house."

Example Sentences

Mr. Epstein’s distinction between Jew and Jew-ish brings to mind Moses at the burning bush, and his first question to God—Who am I to go to Pharaoh?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

The radiocarbon ages for the Santorini event were markedly older than the first radiocarbon dates obtained for artifacts associated with Pharaoh Ahmose and those from the 17th to early 18th Dynasty.

From Science Daily • Dec. 7, 2025

A separate building was designed for the 4,600-year-old solar boat of Pharaoh Khufu, one of the largest and oldest wooden artefacts from antiquity.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

Overall he's in favour of the changes in Pharaoh, but says it's important that accuracy doesn't get in the way of fun.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2023

“You know the story of the Pharaoh and the Israelites?”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• emperor
• king
• monarch
• ruler