1
a
: of kingly ancestry
the royal family
b
: of, relating to, or subject to the crown
the royal estates
c
: being in the crown's service
Royal Air Force
2
a
: suitable for royalty : magnificent
b
: requiring no exertion : easy
there is no royal road to logic—
Justus Buchler
Justus Buchler3
a
: of superior size, magnitude, or quality
a patronage of royal dimensions—J. H. Plumb
—often used as an intensiveJ. H. Plumba royal pain
b
: established or chartered by the crown
4
: of, relating to, or being a part (such as a mast, sail, or yard) next above the topgallant
1
: a person of royal blood
2
: a small sail on the royal mast immediately above the topgallant sail
3
: a stag of 8 years or more having antlers with at least 12 points
Synonyms
Examples of royal in a Sentence
Adjective
They received a royal welcome as they stepped off the plane.
the school superintendent received a royal welcome
Noun
magazine stories about the private lives of royals
Recent Examples on the WebMallory Moench, TIME, 24 Apr. 2024
The essence of royal family drama is how personal passion impacts an institutional figure, and how royal families in some ways aren’t that different from the non blue-blood.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
His name has a special meaning to the royal family
Prince William and Kate shared their younger son’s name in a statement on April 27, 2018.
—Emy Lacroix, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Why blame her for the assassination of the royal family?
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
Immigration lawyers have pointed out that he could also be entitled to an A-1 diplomatic visa, available to members of a reigning royal family.
—Megan Specia, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The Duke of Sussex moved to California in 2020 with his American wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, after the couple stepped back from royal duties.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, may have given up their royal duties, but not the celebrity life.
—Terry Spencer, Fortune Europe, 15 Apr. 2024
In the midst of a storm for the British royal household, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry seem to have found their own haven of peace.
—Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 13 Apr. 2024
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
Villa center-back Tyrone Mings was also photographed standing close to the royals.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The point of at least part of this work, it’s understood in some quarters, is to help contribute to special interest publications, essentially Condé Nast’s versions of Time magazine’s one-off magazine on the future of medicine or an Us tribute to Matthew Perry or the royals.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Their private battles have forced other royals to step up their public duties.
—USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
As well as the grouse shoots, picnics and muddy dog walks that keep members of the family entertained during the long summer days, the estate has also been a place of solace where the royals can enjoy time out of the limelight.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Rather than using Pitt’s royal and gold, the Chinese had made up uniforms in white and navy blue, which, in this corner of Pennsylvania, verged on sacrilege: Penn State colors.
—Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Despite stepping away from public engagements, Prince Andrew has continued to join the royals for family events such as holiday church outings, funerals and other services.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
This year’s celebration is a quieter affair with fewer royals in attendance to minimize the King’s contact with others during his treatment.
—Max Foster, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Kate is the first member of the royal family to hold the title, the press office of the Prince and Princess of Wales confirmed in a call to TIME.
—Mallory Moench, TIME, 24 Apr. 2024
The essence of royal family drama is how personal passion impacts an institutional figure, and how royal families in some ways aren’t that different from the non blue-blood.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
His name has a special meaning to the royal family
Prince William and Kate shared their younger son’s name in a statement on April 27, 2018.
—Emy Lacroix, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
Why blame her for the assassination of the royal family?
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024
Immigration lawyers have pointed out that he could also be entitled to an A-1 diplomatic visa, available to members of a reigning royal family.
—Megan Specia, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
The Duke of Sussex moved to California in 2020 with his American wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, after the couple stepped back from royal duties.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, may have given up their royal duties, but not the celebrity life.
—Terry Spencer, Fortune Europe, 15 Apr. 2024
In the midst of a storm for the British royal household, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry seem to have found their own haven of peace.
—Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 13 Apr. 2024
Noun
The balcony is where members of the family gather during certain special events and where newly married royals have waved to their adoring fans below.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
Villa center-back Tyrone Mings was also photographed standing close to the royals.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The point of at least part of this work, it’s understood in some quarters, is to help contribute to special interest publications, essentially Condé Nast’s versions of Time magazine’s one-off magazine on the future of medicine or an Us tribute to Matthew Perry or the royals.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Their private battles have forced other royals to step up their public duties.
—USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
As well as the grouse shoots, picnics and muddy dog walks that keep members of the family entertained during the long summer days, the estate has also been a place of solace where the royals can enjoy time out of the limelight.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Rather than using Pitt’s royal and gold, the Chinese had made up uniforms in white and navy blue, which, in this corner of Pennsylvania, verged on sacrilege: Penn State colors.
—Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Despite stepping away from public engagements, Prince Andrew has continued to join the royals for family events such as holiday church outings, funerals and other services.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
This year’s celebration is a quieter affair with fewer royals in attendance to minimize the King’s contact with others during his treatment.
—Max Foster, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'royal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near royal
Cite this Entry
“Royal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/royal. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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