ganja

noun

gan·​ja ˈgän-jə How to pronounce ganja (audio) ˈgan- How to pronounce ganja (audio)
: a potent and selected preparation of marijuana used especially for smoking
broadly : marijuana

Examples of ganja in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Coming after Marvin Gaye’s topical What’s Going On album, Marley’s first releases redefined post-civil-rights attitudes, replete with rhythm and ganja. Armond White, National Review, 16 Feb. 2024 For instance, the ganja immortalized in reggae lyrics got its name from the Hindi word for cannabis, gāṁjā, after Indian laborers were taken to Jamaica in the 19th century. Simon Romero Alejandro Cegarra, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023 Confetti, and the smell of celebratory ganja in downtown Oakland, ensued. Michael Silver, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Apr. 2023 At least one member of Mississippi’s Board of Health — whose members are appointed by the governor and will have to approve all medical marijuana regulations — is hoping the lawsuit will keep Big Ganja, or really any ganja, far, far away from the Magnolia State. al, 30 Nov. 2020 Whether the smoke from the ganja had anything to do with the stacks of food the production assistants brought him on set was unclear, said David Mandel, an SNL writer at the time. Timothy Bella, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2022 After a Bob Marley show, my family remembers Bob snubbing my father for taking over their ganja industry. Kristen McGuiness, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2022 According to his own telling, agents connected to the Jamaican government hired him to be the exclusive exporter of Jamaican ganja. Kristen McGuiness, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2022 Not many surfers make world-class hash and use the cash to travel the globe to surf, procuring ganja seeds that are collected to make more hash so additional adventures to far-off lands with large waves can be had. Andrew Deangelo, Forbes, 6 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ganja.' 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

borrowed from Hindi gā̃jā & Urdu gānjā "hemp, hemp flower buds," going back to Sanskrit gañjā "hemp," of uncertain origin

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ganja was in 1689

Dictionary Entries Near ganja

Cite this Entry

“Ganja.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ganja. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

ganja

noun
gan·​ja ˈgän-jə How to pronounce ganja (audio) ˈgan- How to pronounce ganja (audio)
: a potent preparation of marijuana used especially for smoking
broadly : marijuana
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!