rajah

or ra·ja

[ rah-juh ]

noun

1. a king or prince in India.
2. a minor chief or dignitary.
3. an honorary title conferred on Hindus in India.
4. a title of rulers, princes, or chiefs in Java, Borneo, etc.

rajah

/ ˈrɑːdʒə /

noun

1. (in India, formerly) a ruler or landlord: sometimes used as a form of address or as a title preceding a name
2. a Malayan or Javanese prince or chieftain

Word History and Origins

Origin of rajah¹

1545–55; < Hindi rājā < Sanskrit rājan; cognate with Latin rēx king

Word History and Origins

Origin of rajah¹

C16: from Hindi rājā , from Sanskrit rājan king; see raj ; compare Latin rex king

Example Sentences

It could be a wedding feast, perhaps, thrown by a rajah to celebrate the marriage of one of his sons — some occasion for which no expense would be spared.

From Seattle Times

There, the rajah, whose three brothers are about to be executed by British forces, informs them that they will be killed in retaliation.

From Los Angeles Times

We don’t ever really see this, but what the curators do show are energetic, engaged women with as many interests as their rajahs and maharajahs.

From Wall Street Journal

Illustrations of the Ramayana and other holy texts, portraits of rajahs with horses and elephants, and love scenes both spiritual and erotic plot the development of Indian aristocratic taste over three tumultuous centuries.

From New York Times

He’s often called the “sultan of sequins, the rajah of rhinestones” and has won numerous Emmy Awards for his designs and been nominated for Academy Awards.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• czar
• emperor
• king
• monarch
• shah
• sultan