durbar

noun

dur·​bar ˈdər-ˌbär How to pronounce durbar (audio)
ˌdər-ˈbär
1
: court held by an Indian prince
2
: a formal reception held by an Indian prince or an African ruler

Examples of durbar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Both foreground mounted Hausa riders in ceremonial durbar dress against a backdrop of iconographic Western figures – Zeus, Europa, Napoleon. Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes, 4 May 2021 The final ritual is the durbar, similar to a bar mitzvah, quinceañera, or dipo of the Krobo tribe of Ghana. Alexandreena Dixon, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'durbar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu darbār, from Persian, from dar door + bār admission, audience

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of durbar was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near durbar

Cite this Entry

“Durbar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/durbar. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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