sahib
Americannoun
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(in India) sir; master: a term of respect used, especially during the colonial period, when addressing or referring to a European.
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none Sahib singular of Ashab.
noun
Etymology
Origin of sahib
First recorded in 1690–1700; from Urdu, from Arabic ṣāḥib “master,” literally, “friend”
Explanation
In parts of the Indian subcontinent, the word sahib is used as a polite way to address a man. Today it's become more common to say "sir" instead, but many people still use sahib. During the British raj, Indians used sahib to respectfully address British people, and British officers used the word when they spoke to Indian officers. This tradition continues within the Indian army today. Sahib is also used to show respect to men considered higher or lower caste than the speaker. Sahib is from Urdu, in which it means "master," and derives from an Arabic root meaning "friend or companion."
Vocabulary lists containing sahib
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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.
He eventually became fluent in Hindi, a rare achievement in Delhi's foreign press corps and one which endeared him to many Indians for whom he was always "Tully sahib".
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026
He becomes a sort of hollow, posing dummy, the conventionalised figure of a sahib.
From The Guardian • Mar. 18, 2017
It was the calculus that governed life: Am I his sahib, or is he mine?
From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2011
Born of sturdy British middle-class stock in Rangoon, where his father was a pukka sahib in His Majesty's civil service, Peter Townsend was brought back to England at the age of four.
From Time Magazine Archive
“What,” asked Dr. Constantine with interest, “does a pukka sahib mean?”
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
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.
