mogul

1 of 2

noun (1)

mo·​gul ˈmō-(ˌ)gəl How to pronounce mogul (audio)
Synonyms of mogulnext
1
or less commonly moghul or mughal , 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 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
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Noun
When fashion mogul Christie Smith (Demi Moore) takes notice, their rivalry escalates—sparking a bold plan for one final heist. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2026 Cudi even offered his services to executive produce an album for Jenner if the beauty mogul ever wanted to release an LP down the line. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2026 Two people familiar with the conversations said the German media mogul sat down with Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party, and Peter Kyle, secretary of state for business and trade. Max Tani, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026 In telling it, those moguls also get to hype their companies’ AI models. Will Glovinsky, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mogul

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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Cite this Entry

“Mogul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mogul. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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

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