durbar

American  

[dur-bahr] / ˈdɜr bɑr /

noun

1. the court of an Indian ruler.

2. a public audience or levee held by an Indian prince or by a British colonial governor or viceroy; an official reception.

3. the hall or place where an Indian prince or British colonial governor holds a public audience.

4. an audience held by an Indian prince or British colonial governor.

---

durbar British  

/ ˌdɜːˈbɑː, ˈdɜːbɑː /

noun

1. 1. (formerly) the court of a native ruler or a governor in India and British Colonial West Africa

   2. a levee at such a court

---

Etymology

Origin of durbar

First recorded in 1600–10; alteration of Urdu darbār “court,” from Persian, equivalent to dar “door” + bār “entry”

Example Sentences

After a short-lived career teaching geography, Holden had looked forward to his Arabian posting, but he hadn't expected to be attending a garden durbar in honour of Queen Victoria's appointment as Empress of India.

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2025

"Locals marvelled at this weekly durbar, where Ahmed, one ear pressed to his mobile phone and other taking in requests for constituency service, would mutter orders to his personal assistant or stenographer".

From BBC • May 14, 2023

Instead of agreeing enthusiastically, as a maharajah in the 19th century would at Queen Victoria’s durbar, Modi wanted something in return.

From The Guardian • Mar. 9, 2018

In the French television serial “Rani,” the opulence of Indian royalty and of the French 18th-century aristocracy are recreated with as much pomp as Chanel’s more exclusive durbar.

From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2011

Another durbar has taken place; the ambassador, or nuncio—the latter, I suppose, being the appropriate word—having come in from the chief Ulem of the Gallas tribes.

From March to Magdala by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)