1
: a medieval sovereign of China and ruler over the Turkish, Tatar, and Mongol tribes
2
: a local chieftain or man of rank in some countries of central Asia
: a caravansary or rest house in some Asian countries
Examples of khan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
Her tribe also elected her as its khan, its leader, after her father died.
—Hannah Fish, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 2024
As Russia, under the rule of the Mongol khans, missed the European Renaissance, so, too, had Putin missed the romantic period of perestroika.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
William does not explain Batu’s decision, but presumably Batu, as a regional leader, handled all domestic matters related to his own jurisdiction but had to refer matters of international diplomacy to the great khan.
—Valerie Hansen, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
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Noun
The Nizari imams claim direct descent from the Prophet Mohammed; it has been rumored that the current khan’s personal fortune is $13.3 billion.
—John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
Her tribe also elected her as its khan, its leader, after her father died.
—Hannah Fish, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 2024
As Russia, under the rule of the Mongol khans, missed the European Renaissance, so, too, had Putin missed the romantic period of perestroika.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
William does not explain Batu’s decision, but presumably Batu, as a regional leader, handled all domestic matters related to his own jurisdiction but had to refer matters of international diplomacy to the great khan.
—Valerie Hansen, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Khan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/khan. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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