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 treated like 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

For families As is customary in Bali, kids are treated like royalty by virtually all resort staff, and there is always someone ready with open arms to hold or play with them. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026

Now Perella Weinberg, founded by M&A royalty Joe Perella and Peter Weinberg, is in talks to sell to Piper Sandler, which was itself formed by the 2019 merger of two boutiques that couldn’t hack it alone. — semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Millions of dollars in royalties that Smith diverted from real, deserving artists and rights holders. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Composer Maurice Jarre received royalties for the brief use of his leitmotif. — Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 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

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