Search Dictionary
Definition of bei
bei
/beɪ/
bei
Plural:beis
bei Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A historical title for a provincial governor or minor royalty in the Ottoman Empire and some other Islamic countries.
Example
"The ruling bei of Tunis negotiated terms of trade with European powers."
2
A courteous title of respect used in Turkey, traditionally following a man's first name.
Example
"We were introduced to Ahmet bei during our diplomatic visit to Ankara."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for beiWord Nuance & Usage
This word is an alternative historical spelling or transliteration of 'bey', a title used in the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey.
• Rhymes for bei
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Turkish 'bey', derived from Old Turkic 'bäg' (chieftain, noble).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Bei. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/bei