raga

American  

[rah-guh] / ˈrɑ gə /

noun

1. one of the melodic formulas of Hindu music having the melodic shape, rhythm, and ornamentation prescribed by tradition.

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raga British  

/ ˈrɑːɡə /

noun

1. 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

2. a composition based on one of these patterns

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Etymology

Origin of raga

First recorded in 1780–90, raga is from the Sanskrit word rāga color, tone

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

raga

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

Karpman rose to the challenge, writing a dreamy, romantic Indian-style raga for a young Aisha and her revolutionary husband in an all-too-brief idyll that produces a child and is just as quickly interrupted by conflict.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2023

Beck’s lead guitar takes over for the entire last minute, melding rockabilly and something like raga, leaving the rest of the band to whoop along.

From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2023

The raga even affects the tuning of the notes.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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