monarch

noun

mon·​arch ˈmä-nərk 

-ˌnärk

1

: a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: such as

a

: a sovereign ruler

b

: a constitutional (see constitutional entry 1 sense 1) king or queen

2

: one that holds preeminent position or power

Cotton, monarch of the textile world …

—Wall Street Journal

3

: monarch butterfly

monarchal

mə-ˈnär-kəl 

mä-

adjective

or monarchial

mə-ˈnär-kē-əl 

mä-

Synonyms of monarch

• ruler
• sovereign
• emperor

Examples of monarch in a Sentence

a new history of French monarchs

the ruling monarch of Britain at that time was Queen Elizabeth I

Recent Examples on the Web

The monarch delivered the King’s Speech — an address written by the government to set out its priorities for the coming parliamentary session. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 13 May 2026

And only DeMichelle’s Marguerite has the necessary command to bring this obstreperous monarch to heel. —Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026

Specifically, the monarch's historic address to a session of Congress, which followed in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, was highly praised. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026

But sometimes, the monarch wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin monarcha, from Greek monarchos, from mon- + -archos -arch

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing monarch

• monarch butterfly

Rhymes for monarch

• ballpark
• benchmark
• birthmark
• daymark
• earmark
• embark
• hallmark
• landmark
• postmark
• remark
• skylark
• tetrarch

Kids Definition

monarch

noun

mon·​arch ˈmän-ərk 

-ˌärk

1

: a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: as

a

: a ruler who has total power

absolute monarch

b

: someone who acts primarily as chief of state and who has only limited powers

constitutional monarch

2

: someone or something like a monarch

the oak is the monarch of the forest

3

: monarch butterfly

monarchal

mə-ˈnär-kəl 

mä-

adjective

or monarchial

-kē-əl