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

Another resident, Kana Sakakura, noted that countries in Europe, such as the UK, have long histories of female monarchs. — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Prince Michael Bates' parents were the ones who established Sealand in 1967, and in the ensuing decades, the monarch estimates that his family has spent millions of dollars trying to keep alive the dream of running a sovereign nation. — Brit McCandless Farmer, CBS News, 12 July 2026

The look symbolized her character, trapeze artist Anna Wheeler, who flew through the air, similar to a monarch. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026

The Picture Gallery display traditionally changes each time a new monarch is installed. — News Desk, Artforum, 10 July 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