mogul

1 of 2

noun (1)

mo·​gul ˈmō-(ˌ)gəl 

1

or less commonly moghul

ˈmō-(ˌ)gəl 

or mughal

ˈmü-(ˌ)gəl 

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 

: 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"; English speakers borrowed the word for other powerful persons, 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 is of Germanic origin and has nothing to do with Asian Mogul dynasties.

Examples of mogul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mopreme Shakur, Tupac’s brother, has also confirmed that the mogul once personally called him in the 2000s to clear his name. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 Sep. 2025

The mogul also received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his support through large-scale donations to the NAACP. —ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025

The average billionaire on The Forbes 400 ranking of America’s richest people is 70 years old, and 23 of the list’s members are in their 90s, including land and lumber mogul Archie Aldis Emmerson, who is the oldest, at 96. —Martina Castellanos, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Meanwhile, the President can use the National Guard to intimidate blue-state citizens, and no one can stop him; a mogul can shield billions in income from tax; and voters can find their districts redrawn overnight. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for mogul

• bogle
• fogle
• ogle

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Kids Definition

mogul

1 of 2 noun

mo·​gul ˈmō-(ˌ)gəl 

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 

: a bump on a ski slope

Etymology

Noun

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

Noun

from German dialect