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"; 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
The talk show and lifestyle mogul, who has favored suits of all styles throughout her career, wasn’t the only one suiting up for the occasion. Maggie Clancy, WWD, 13 Sep. 2024 The prime minister is on trial for allegedly granting favors to media moguls in exchange for gifts and favorable media coverage. Itay Stern, NPR, 11 Sep. 2024 The 69-year-old beverage mogul, China’s richest person for three years in a row, is struggling to grow Nongfu Spring’s core bottled water business. Yue Wang, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024 Per Brett's website, in 1889, Jacob Stern — Jason and Brett’s ancestor — founded The Stern Realty Co. and became one of Los Angeles’ first real estate moguls. Samantha Stutsman, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mogul 

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 Sep. 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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