raga
Americannoun
noun
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any of several conventional patterns of melody and rhythm that form the basis for freely interpreted compositions. Each pattern is associated with different aspects of religious devotion
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a composition based on one of these patterns
Etymology
Origin of raga
First recorded in 1780–90, raga is from the Sanskrit word rāga color, tone
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.
In one fine scene, Charu attends a raga performance in a concert hall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Hazari told the Indian newspaper The Telegraph he had "never come across a singer as talented", noting the boy's rapid progression from early raga lessons to the voice the world would later know.
From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026
The music was familiar: the distinctive fingerpicking style of the guitarist John Fahey — folk and blues flecked with traditional Indian raga — whose artwork rather than music I came to see.
From New York Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
Widely considered one of the greatest guitarists in history, Mr. Beck shifted seamlessly between genres, recording albums that drew on hard rock, heavy metal, jazz fusion, blues, funk, electronic music and Indian raga.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 11, 2023
There is also often a mood associated with a raga, such as a time of day the song should be sung, or a season of the year like monsoon season, hot season, or winter.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
