ganja

noun

gan·​ja ˈgän-jə How to pronounce ganja (audio) ˈgan- How to pronounce ganja (audio)
: a potent and selected preparation of marijuana used especially for smoking
broadly : marijuana

Examples of ganja in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just over the Wisconsin state line, there is an Upper Peninsula dispensary that offers the ease of a drive-thru option to buy ganja. Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025 Coming after Marvin Gaye’s topical What’s Going On album, Marley’s first releases redefined post-civil-rights attitudes, replete with rhythm and ganja. Armond White, National Review, 16 Feb. 2024 For instance, the ganja immortalized in reggae lyrics got its name from the Hindi word for cannabis, gāṁjā, after Indian laborers were taken to Jamaica in the 19th century. Simon Romero Alejandro Cegarra, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023 Confetti, and the smell of celebratory ganja in downtown Oakland, ensued. Michael Silver, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for ganja

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hindi gā̃jā & Urdu gānjā "hemp, hemp flower buds," going back to Sanskrit gañjā "hemp," of uncertain origin

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ganja was in 1689

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ganja.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ganja. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Medical Definition

ganja

noun
gan·​ja ˈgän-jə How to pronounce ganja (audio) ˈgan- How to pronounce ganja (audio)
: a potent preparation of marijuana used especially for smoking
broadly : marijuana
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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