Standard Lemma guide

jirga

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈdʒiɹɡə/
  • US: [ˈdʒiɚɡə]
  • UK: /ˈdʒɪəɡə/
  • CMU ARPABET: JH ER1 G AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A gathering of elders or leaders in Pakistan or Afghanistan, especially within a tribe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Pakistan

Qualifier: Afghanistan

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a Pashto term for a decision making assembly of male elders

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • most criminal cases are handled by a tribal Jirga rather than by laws or police

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: council

Narrower terms: Loya Jirga

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Pashto جرګه (jərga).