mogul

1 of 2

noun (1)

mo·​gul ˈmō-(ˌ)gəl How to pronounce mogul (audio)
1
or less commonly moghul or mughal capitalized : an Indian Muslim of or descended from one of several conquering groups of Mongol, Turkish, and Persian origin
especially : great mogul
2
: a great personage : magnate
Hollywood moguls
industry moguls
mogul adjective
or less commonly moghul or mughal
often capitalized

mogul

2 of 2

noun (2)

mo·​gul ˈmō-gəl How to pronounce mogul (audio)
: a bump in a ski run

Did you know?

Started by Bābur, a descendant of Genghis Khan, the Muslim Mogul dynasty ruled much of India from the early 16th century to the mid-18th century. The Moguls (whose name is also spelled Moghul or Mughal) were known for their talented and powerful rulers (called "Great Moguls"), so it's no surprise that in English the word mogul came to denote a powerful person, as in today's familiar references to "media moguls." Skiers might wonder if such power moguls have anything to do with the name they use for a bump in a ski run, but that hilly homonym has nothing to do with Asian Mogul dynasties. We picked up the skier's mogul from German dialect, from a word that is probably related to the Viennese mugl, meaning "small hill."

Examples of mogul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
During the broadcast, filmed in front of a live studio audience, the 70-year-old media mogul will sit down with medical experts and patients to discuss prescription weight-loss drugs, including Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy. Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 More recently, media mogul Byron Allen submitted a $30 billion offer, including debt and equity, for Paramount Global. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 So far, rumors suggest that the media giant has entertained deals from Warner Bros. Discovery, Skydance Media, Apollo Global Management, and media mogul Byron Allen. Emma Roth, The Verge, 12 Mar. 2024 Media mogul Steven Newhouse owns just 16,182 Class A shares but retains most of Reddit’s Class B voting shares through his Advance Magazine Publishers. William Gavin, Quartz, 11 Mar. 2024 An exploitation film set during the Great Depression and produced by B-movie mogul Roger Corman, Boxcar Bertha tells the loose, meandering story of a southern bank robber (Barbara Hershey). Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 Or perhaps, Ivanka Trump could enjoy proximity to power in other ways, with Vanity Fair reporting on speculation that her business mogul husband, Jared Kushner, is in the running to be named Secretary of State in a second Trump term. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 Thursday’s decision came in one of several abuse cases filed against the hip-hop mogul late last year. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 29 Feb. 2024 The beauty mogul, 36, and rapper, 35, just released a nearly two-minute short film, Born to Steal: Yours, Mine, Ours on YouTube to support their first beauty collaboration, Fenty Skin Lux Balm, which launched in January. Jackie Fields, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mogul.' 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

Noun (1)

Persian Mughul, from Mongolian mongγol Mongol

Noun (2)

German dialect; akin to German dialect (Viennese) mugl small hill

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mogul was in 1588

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Dictionary Entries Near mogul

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

mogul

1 of 2 noun
mo·​gul ˈmō-(ˌ)gəl How to pronounce mogul (audio)
mō-ˈgəl
1
also moghul or mughal capitalized : an Indian Muslim of or descended from a family of Turkish and Mongolian origin that ruled India from the 16th to the 18th century
2
: an important person : magnate
mogul adjective often capitalized

mogul

2 of 2 noun
mo·​gul ˈmō-gəl How to pronounce mogul (audio)
: a bump on a ski slope
Etymology

Noun

Persian Mughul "mogul," from Mongolian mongγol "Mongol"

Noun

from German dialect

More from Merriam-Webster on mogul

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