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.
The men and women under his employ were a rag-tag gang of dreamers and drifters, brought together by a love for adventure, a disdain for the society that had thrown their friends away in Vietnam, and a desire to spread the gospel of ganja. Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026 Cannabis is a plant also known as marijuana, weed, pot, ganja, Mary Jane, Smoochy Woochy Poochy and a whole host of other names. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 14 Feb. 2026 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 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 29 Mar. 2026.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster