royalty

noun

roy·​al·​ty ˈrȯi(-ə)l-tē 

plural royalties

1

a

: royal status or power : sovereignty

b

: a right or perquisite of a sovereign (such as a percentage paid to the crown of gold or silver taken from mines)

2

: regal character or bearing : nobility

3

a

: persons of royal lineage

dined with royalty

On our wedding day, we were treatedlike royalty.

b

: a person of royal rank

… how to address royalties …

—George Santayana

c

: an elite class

4

: a right of jurisdiction granted to an individual or corporation by a sovereign

5

a

: a share of the product or profit reserved by the grantor especially of an oil or mining lease

b

: a payment to an author or composer for each copy of a work sold or to an inventor for each item sold under a patent

Synonyms of royalty

• majesty
• nobility
• dignity

Examples of royalty in a Sentence

It was an honor and a privilege to dine with royalty.

On our wedding day, we were treated like royalty.

Recent Examples on the Web

The indictment alleges the Mohameds devised a system in which Mohamed's Enterprise paid taxes and royalties on one shipment of gold to obtain official government seals, then reused those same seals on additional shipments to avoid paying further taxes and royalties. —Sergio Candido, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2025

Friend-James told the Daily Mail that a table had been booked a week ago for nine people on two separate tables, but no one knew that the booking was in fact for royalty. —Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025

In 2025, estimates say that 1 million streams on Spotify generate $4,370 in royalties. —Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2025

This movie is also chock-full of cameos from country music legends and Opry royalty from Mickey Guyton, Megan Moroney, and Brad Paisley to Bill Anderson, Pam Tillis, and even Opry stalwarts Riders in the Sky. —Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English roialte, from Anglo-French realté, roialté, from real

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing royalty

• like royalty

Rhymes for royalty

• loyalty
• disloyalty
• viceroyalty

Kids Definition

royalty

noun

roy·​al·​ty ˈrȯi(-ə)l-tē 

plural royalties

1

: royal status or power

2

: royal character or conduct

3

: members of a royal family

4

a

: a share of a product or profit (as of a mine) claimed by the owner for allowing another to use the property

b

: a payment made to the owner of a patent or copyright for the use of it

Legal Definition

royalty

noun

roy·​al·​ty

plural royalties

1

: a right delegated (as to an individual or corporation) by a sovereign

2

a

: a share of the profit or product reserved by the grantor especially of an oil or mineral lease compare overriding royalty

b

: a payment made to an author or composer for each copy of a work sold or to an inventor for each article sold under a patent