mogul

1 of 2

noun (1)

mo·​gul ˈmō-(ˌ)gəl 

1

or less commonly moghul

ˈmō-(ˌ)gəl 

or mughal

ˈmü-(ˌ)gəl 

, Mogul : 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 Mogul

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

Harvey Weinstein is considering pleading guilty to a third-degree rape charge to avoid facing trial for a third time, the former Hollywood mogul’s lawyer told a judge in a downtown Manhattan courtroom Thursday. —Adam Reiss, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026

Although Fuerza Regida still releases music under the imprint, the band is in the thick of a legal battle with Rancho Humilde — an independent record company led by music mogul Jimmy Humilde, who signed the group in 2018. —Andrea Flores jan. 8, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026

Last month, the beauty mogul uploaded another new mirror selfie to her Instagram Stories, which depicted her standing in front of a seaside view. —Hannah Malach, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026

Jackson, who famously won an acquittal in the murder trial of Karen Read and represented disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, did not explain his decision to withdraw from the case. —Matt Gutman, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026

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