Pharaoh
noun
a title of an ancient Egyptian king.
Jump To:
-
Pharaoh
-
pharaoh
pharaohThe 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.
Pharaoh
American
[fair-oh, far-oh, fay-roh]
/ ˈfɛər oʊ, ˈfær oʊ, ˈfeɪ roʊ /
noun
-
Pharaohs
plural
-
a title of an ancient Egyptian king.
-
(lowercase) any person who uses power or authority to oppress others; tyrant.
Pharaoh
British
/ ˈfɛərəʊ /
noun
pharaoh
Cultural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing pharaoh
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Passover Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ancient Egypt and Kush, Lessons 1–3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
For a man who considers himself the greatest builder the world has ever known — move over, Pharaoh Khufu!
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 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
The Dutch government said the sculpture of a high-ranking official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III is "deeply meaningful to Egypt's identity".
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2025
Do we turn around and fight the Pharaoh on the shores of the Red Sea, or do we cross?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025
They could no longer sing that fiery song, sound of thunder in the chorus: Go down, Moses, Way down in Egypt's land, Tell old Pharaoh, Let my people go!
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
Four of the six individuals were sisters and daughters of the pharaoh Amenemhat II. They had been placed in matching underground burial chambers.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Historical brain teasers: Do you know which pharaoh the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed for?
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
From this odd, real-life figure Mr. Mintzker turns to the fictional tale of a renowned prince from ancient times who, while visiting Egypt, is transformed by a jealous pharaoh into a miserable, put-upon horse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
Stasevska was born in 1984, the same year that Glass’ hypnotic, ritualistic opera, about an Egyptian pharaoh who dared to push monotheism onto his polytheistic culture, debuted in Stuttgart, Germany.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
“The pharaoh wants to meet me? There must be some mistake.”
From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman
A sea of fans dressed in red, white and black filled the grounds outside the airport in El-Alamein, where the Pharaohs boarded an open-top bus for a parade through the coastal city.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
In the second half, Mostafa Zico made it 2-0 to Egypt, moments after the Pharaohs had a goal disallowed by instant replay for a foul that occurred at the other end of the pitch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
In Agadir, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
But for now, the focus is on succeeding with the Pharaohs in Morocco.
From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2025
The rulers of such a state are absolute, as the Pharaohs or the Caesars could not be.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
