Main Entry:: ¹roy·al
Pronunciation:: \ˈrȯi(-ə)l\
Function:: adjective
Etymology:: Middle English roial, from Anglo-French real, roial, from Latin regalis, from reg-, rex king; akin to Old Irish rī (genitive rīg) king, Sanskrit rājan, Latin regere to rule — more at right
Date:: 14th century

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>3 a: of superior size, magnitude, or quality <a patronage of royal dimensions — J. H. Plumb> —often used as an intensive <a royal pain> b: established or chartered by the crown4: of, relating to, or being a part (as a mast, sail, or yard) next above the topgallant

— roy·al·ly

\ˈrȯi-ə-lē\ adverb

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