Haile Selassie

British  

/ ˈhaɪlɪ səˈlæsɪ /

noun

1. title of Ras Tafari Makonnen. 1892–1975, emperor of Ethiopia (1930–36; 1941–74). During the Italian occupation of Ethiopia (1936–41), he lived in exile in England. He was a prominent figure in the Pan-African movement: deposed 1974

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Example Sentences

In 1974, after Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed in a coup, many musicians left the country, but Mulatu stayed in Addis and kept making music.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025

Marley’s original — the lyrics are drawn from a speech given by the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie before the United Nations General Assembly in 1963 — moves with a sly breeze.

From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2023

When an Ethiopian prince named Ras Tafari, who took the name Haile Selassie I, became emperor in 1930, the descendants of slaves in Jamaica took it as proof that Garvey’s prophecy was being fulfilled.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 2, 2023

Other watches owned by emperors and sold at auction include a Patek Philippe timepiece that belonged to the last Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, which sold for $2.9 million in 2017.

From Reuters • May 23, 2023

In 1930, Haile Selassie became emperor and the shaping force of contemporary Ethiopian history.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela