A nabob is a word with two historicalrelating to the past or to events from earlier times meanings. It can refer to a governor in India under the Mughala Muslim imperial dynasty that ruled much of India Empire, or to a very wealthyhaving a lot of money or valuable possessions person, especially one who became rich through trade or business in the East. In modern use, the second meaning is the one people usually mean.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈneɪˌbɑb/
Easy pronunciation: NAY-bob (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable.
Use this for the noun meaning a very rich man, especially one who made his fortune in the East.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Nabob Meaning
a very rich man
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a wealthy man, especially one who made his fortune in the East
Example: He returned home as a nabob after making a fortune overseas.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- nawab — Historically related, but mainly tied to the older Indian title sense rather than everyday modern use.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Nabob
Meaning 2
an Indian governor under the Mughal Empire
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a governor in India during the Mughal Empire
Example: The local nabob ruled the area on behalf of the empire.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- nawab — This is the direct historical equivalent for this sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Nabob Synonyms
historical title for a governor in India under the Mughal Empire
- nawab
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes use nabob to mean any rich person, but the word is old-fashioned and often sounds historical.
- It should not be confused with nawab, which is the related historical title.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does nabob mean?
Nabob usually means a very rich man, especially one who made his fortune in the East. It also has an older historical meaning: a governor in India under the Mughal Empire.
Is nabob a common modern word?
No. It is uncommon in modern speech and usually appears in historical or literary writing.
What is a synonym for nabob?
For the wealthy-person sense, there is no strong exact modern synonym in the supplied data. For the historical governor sense, nawab is the direct equivalent.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.