like some pharaoh of a third-world country, more interested in building monuments to himself than in creating a future for his people
Recent Examples on the WebFinally, a small ceramic plaque discovered at the site bears the name of Amasis, a 26th Dynasty pharaoh who ruled from 570 to 526 B.C.E.—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024 There is also some evidence that this was a female pharaoh — something for which there has been precedent.—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 1 May 2024 For decades, the Jewish people had been slaves of the Egyptian pharaohs until Moses led them out of captivity, according to Chabad.org.—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 19 Apr. 2024 This declaration reasserted the populace’s duty to pay the pharaoh and his kingdom, as everything in the state was understood to belong to the pharaoh.—Kate McMahon, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024 Others took umbrage at an ancient Egyptian art work depicting manual labor, which bore a caption describing how the pharaoh’s workers periodically staged strikes.—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024 Known as Ramses the Great, the pharaoh’s legacy was cemented by a slew of monuments and statues constructed in his name, both during and after his reign.—Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 The symbol of the scarab beetle means to come into existence or to continue to exist, which would have been important for a pharaoh hoping for a smooth journey into the afterlife.—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 For instance, historians surmise that as well as gold and precious stones, ancient thieves stole metal razor blades from the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun.—Chris Baraniuk, WIRED, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pharaoh.' 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
Middle English pharao, from Old English, from Late Latin pharaon-, pharao, from Greek pharaō, from Hebrew parʽōh, from Egyptian pr-ʽʾ̹
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of pharaoh was
before the 12th century
Old English pharao "pharaoh," from Latin pharaon-, pharao (same meaning), from Greek pharaō (same meaning), from Hebrew par'ōh "pharaoh," of Egyptian origin
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