reggae

noun

reg·​gae ˈre-(ˌ)gā 

ˈrā-

: popular music of Jamaican origin that combines native styles with elements of rock and soul music and is performed at moderate tempos with the accent on the offbeat

Examples of reggae in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown, Augustus Pablo and King Tubby One genre of music that the punk rockers gave a free pass to was reggae, dub specifically. —Liza Lentini, Spin, 22 Sep. 2023

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs will bring their blend of rock, rap, salsa, ska and reggae as part of their El Leon del Ritmo tour. —Chelsea Hylton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023

Intermingled elements of jazz, pop, rock and reggae. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023

There is just one concert left this season — a reggae band — and the Trustees have shown no intentions of moving the barriers. —Billy Baker, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2023

Saturday’s music begins at 2 p.m. with the local husband-and-wife duo Rick and Sharona, continues at 2:30 p.m. with the band Apostle Jones and moves on with the popular classic reggae sounds of Carlos Jones and the Plus Band at 4:30. —cleveland, 11 Aug. 2023

This year is no exception, with acts as uber-popular as Bon Iver sharing space with emerging artists like Palm, and genres like reggae, hip hop, rock, electro-pop and R&B getting a chance to shine. —Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2023

And then with the punk movement, which had its roots in reggae and ska – the Clash and bands like that. —Matt Thompson, Spin, 31 Aug. 2023

From the relaxed grooves of reggae to the infectious rhythms of soca, the high-energy beats from dancehall, to the melodic storytelling and social commentary of calypso, among many other genres, the Caribbean has given rise to a diverse array of musical styles over several generations. —Melissa Noel, Essence, 30 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

reggae

noun

reg·​gae ˈreg-(ˌ)ā 

ˈrāg-

: popular music of Jamaican origin that combines native styles with elements of U.S. black popular music and is performed at moderate tempos with the accent on the offbeat