Skip to content

ras

boss; strongman; warlord

noun rahs Rare
People & Society Politics

Origin: From Amharic ras ('head, chief'), a noble title in Ethiopia; entered Italian during the colonial period.

Usage Note

Ras entered Italian during the Fascist era when Italian colonial presence in Ethiopia made the Amharic title ras familiar. It became a synonym for a local political strongman or a powerful, overbearing figure: il ras della zona (the local bigwig). It is invariable in the plural. Used with a critical or ironic tone in modern Italian.

Examples

"Il ras del quartiere controllava ogni attività."

Natural Translation

The local strongman controlled every activity.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore Italian by topic