Meaning & use
dewan
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A council of state or government administrative office, or a minister or official who heads such a body, especially in historical South Asian or Middle Eastern administrations.
See it in a sentence
The dewan managed the state's finances on behalf of the maharaja.
Visitors can still see the old dewan-i-khas, the hall where the royal council once met.
A note on using this word
Dewan is a variant spelling of diwan, an Arabic-derived word that entered English through Persian and Urdu administrative usage in South Asia.
Words with a similar meaning
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Another way to use it
2. noun
A royal court or audience hall.
The dewan was decorated with intricate carved screens.
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