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

Too many members stay in office for decades, accumulate power and wealth, and begin to act like royalty rather than representatives. —Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026

Its original purpose was to benefit society by making its findings public and royalty-free rather than to make money. —Alnoor Ebrahim, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026

Whether the bells and whistles of this shining new basketball mecca do anything to help its team ascend to Southern California hoops royalty and dethrone the Los Angeles Lakers is a totally different issue. —David K. Li, NBC news, 12 Feb. 2026

Bringing the Kennedy family — America’s closest thing to royalty — to screen was bound to spark strong reactions. —Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 12 Feb. 2026

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