reggae

American  

[reg-ey] / ˈrɛg eɪ /

noun

1. a style of Jamaican popular music blending blues, calypso, and rock-'n'-roll, characterized by a strong syncopated rhythm and lyrics of social protest.

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reggae British  

/ ˈrɛɡeɪ /

noun

1. a type of West Indian popular music having four beats to the bar, the upbeat being strongly accented

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reggae Cultural  

1. A form of pop music that originated in Jamaica, combining elements of calypso and rhythm and blues (see blues) with a strongly accentuated offbeat. Bob Marley was the first internationally known reggae musician.

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Etymology

Origin of reggae

< Jamaican English, respelling of reggay (introduced in the song “Do the Reggay” (1968) by Frederick “Toots” Hibbert), a dance name based on rege, *strege a dowdy or raggedy fellow; compare rege-rege ragged clothing, quarrel, row

Explanation

Reggae is a popular style of music that began in Jamaica and often has political and spiritual themes. Bob Marley, who died in 1981, is still the most well-known reggae musician. The origins of the word reggae are a bit unclear, although most experts think it comes from the Jamaican English rege-rege, which means both "a quarrel or protest" and "ragged clothing." It first appeared in the title of a Toots and the Maytals song, "Do the Reggay," in 1968. Reggae grew out of ska and rocksteady, slowing the rhythm and adding a distinctive upbeat. Reggae is closely connected with the Rastafarian religion.

Example Sentences

“Company,” a reggae tune with a guest appearance from Jamaican dancehall vocalist Buju Banton, gives Ms. Lennox an opportunity to try on a sing-song melodic guise and it suits her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

His music, which features elements of reggae, Afrobeats and traditional Ugandan rhythms, gained a large following, and established him as a champion for social and political change.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026

The definitive bands working in the style took the loud and rude antagonism of punk and integrated forms outside of rock, incorporating the bass-forward presentation of reggae and the abstraction of art-rock.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

The band moves in the fertile periphery where sunshine pop meets dream rock, channeling the Police on the reggae vibe of “Universal Hit” and diving into Cocteau Twins ether on “La Vuelta.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025

The famous reggae singer Bob Marley was himself a Rastafarian and helped spread the word beyond the Jamaican shores.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon