1
a
: a male monarch of a major territorial unit
especially
: one whose position is hereditary and who rules for life
b
: a paramount chief
2
3
: one that holds a preeminent position
especially
: a chief among competitors
the cattle kings rode up from the south —
Alan Moorehead
Alan Moorehead even if no longer king, cotton remains the chief cash crop —Howell Walker
Howell Walker 4
: the principal piece of each color in chess having the power to move ordinarily one square in any direction and to capture opposing pieces but being obliged never to enter or remain in check
5
: a playing card marked with a stylized figure of a king
6
: a checker that has been crowned
7
Synonyms
Examples of king in a Sentence
He pledged his loyalty to the king and queen.
the reign of King James
He became king at a young age.
He's widely regarded as the king of soul music.
He was voted king of the prom.
The lion is known as the king of the jungle.
She won the game by checkmating his king.
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s no greater high than playing your records at your show in front of a crowd that knows your music and everyone’s just f–king lit up.
—Mitchell Kuga, Billboard, 26 Apr. 2024
The palace added that the king and queen will host the emperor and empress of Japan for a state visit to Buckingham Palace in June.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024
Various sizes are available, ranging from twin to California king, and this mattress pad can even accommodate beds in RVs and travel trailers.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday, April 23, the king awarded her a new honorary title: The Princess of Wales officially joined the Order of Companions of Honor, a first for a member of the royal family.
—Valentine Servant-Ulgu, Glamour, 25 Apr. 2024
At Trick Two, South must give himself a chance by leading a heart to the king.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
The leading theory is that the tomb belongs to an ancient king of the Chu state, King Kaolie, but more research is needed, the Shanghai Eye reported.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
In this telling, Constance stumbled upon the perpetrators of the plot to assassinate the king just before the first part ended, which at least imbues the character with a certain value.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
West won, cashed his king of trumps and led a club to East’s king.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
Mitchell Kuga, Billboard, 26 Apr. 2024
The palace added that the king and queen will host the emperor and empress of Japan for a state visit to Buckingham Palace in June.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024
Various sizes are available, ranging from twin to California king, and this mattress pad can even accommodate beds in RVs and travel trailers.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
On Tuesday, April 23, the king awarded her a new honorary title: The Princess of Wales officially joined the Order of Companions of Honor, a first for a member of the royal family.
—Valentine Servant-Ulgu, Glamour, 25 Apr. 2024
At Trick Two, South must give himself a chance by leading a heart to the king.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2024
The leading theory is that the tomb belongs to an ancient king of the Chu state, King Kaolie, but more research is needed, the Shanghai Eye reported.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
In this telling, Constance stumbled upon the perpetrators of the plot to assassinate the king just before the first part ended, which at least imbues the character with a certain value.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
West won, cashed his king of trumps and led a club to East’s king.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'king.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to king
Dictionary Entries Near king
Cite this Entry
“King.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/king. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
king
noun1
: a male ruler of a country who usually inherits his position and rules for life
2
: a chief among competitors
an oil king
3
: the chief piece in the game of chess
4
: a playing card bearing the figure of a king
5
: a piece in the game of checkers that has reached the opponent's back row and has been crowned
Biographical Definition
King 1 of 8
biographical name (1)
B. B. 1925–2015 originally Riley B. King American blues musician
King
2 of 8biographical name (2)
Billie Jean 1943– née Moffitt American tennis player
King
3 of 8biographical name (3)
Ernest Joseph 1878–1956 American admiral
King
4 of 8biographical name (4)
Martin Luther, Jr. 1929–1968 American clergyman and civil rights leader
King
5 of 8biographical name (5)
Rufus 1755–1827 American politician and diplomat
King
6 of 8biographical name (6)
Stephen (Edwin) 1947– American writer
King
7 of 8biographical name (7)
William Lyon Mackenzie 1874–1950 Canadian statesman; prime minister (1921–26; 1926–30; 1935–48)
King
8 of 8biographical name (8)
William Rufus de Vane 1786–1853 American politician; vice president of the U.S. (1853)
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