khan
noun
(in the Altaic group of languages) a title held by hereditary rulers or tribal chiefs.
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khan
1 American
[kahn, kan]
/ kɑn, kæn /
Archaic,
cham
noun
-
(in the Altaic group of languages) a title held by hereditary rulers or tribal chiefs.
-
the supreme ruler of the Tatar tribes, as well as emperor of China, during the Middle Ages: a descendant of Genghis Khan.
-
a title of respect used in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and other countries of Asia.
khan
2
American
[kahn, kan]
/ kɑn, kæn /
noun
khan
1
British
/ kɑːn /
noun
-
-
(formerly) a title borne by medieval Chinese emperors and Mongol and Turkic rulers: usually added to a name
Kublai Khan
-
such a ruler
-
-
a title of respect borne by important personages in Afghanistan and central Asia
Khan
2
British
/ kɑːn /
noun
khan
3
British
/ kɑːn /
noun
Etymology
Origin of khan1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English Ca(a)n, Chan, ultimately from Turkic Khān, apparently contraction of Khāgān, equivalent to Turkish kağan “ruler”
Origin of khan2
1350–1400; < Arabic < Persian; replacing Middle English alchan < Arabic ( al the + khān )
Explanation
Historically, khans were Central Asian emperors, nobles, and military leaders. One of the most famous was Genghis Khan, ruler of the 13th-century Mongol empire. The power held by someone with the title of khan depended on the country or region. In some places a khan was the most powerful ruler, and in others the khan merely controlled an army or small nomadic tribe. While the use of khan as a title faded after the Middle Ages, it became a common surname among South and Central Asian Muslims. Khan's Turkic root is khaqan, or "ruler."
Vocabulary lists containing khan
Chinese History - Introductory
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Civilizations of East Asia and Southeast Asia, Lessons 1–3
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Chinese History - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Montesquieu’s disdain for absolute authority undoubtedly influenced his view of the great khan.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Did succession to the position of great khan work out as Chinggis Khan had hoped in the decades after his death?
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
London Mayor Sadiq khan said he was “heartbroken” by the news.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2021
There is this story in our family: Near my grandfather’s shop, by the Great Mosque, there was a khan where a mufti named Haji İbrahim—who belonged to the prominent Pirinççizade clan—drank tea.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 29, 2014
In a different tale, the khan has an odyssey in the Azerbaijani hill country.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Afghanistan's Rashid Khan has the best strike-rate against Buttler - removing him six times in just 82 deliveries.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
And he brought in an antitrust crusader in Lina Khan to chair the city’s Economic Development Corp., the government body that the real estate community closely relies on to execute large-scale development projects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Send tips to our reporters Max Fillion at [email protected], Clara Hudson at [email protected], Yusuf Khan at [email protected] and Richard Vanderford at [email protected].
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Southern Californian restaurateur Rafi Khan had a clear vision for a new food outpost on a 20-acre ranch he leased in Riverside County earlier this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
"Imam Khan is leading Salat al-Janazah prayers, for you."
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
