ruler

noun

ˈrü-lər How to pronounce ruler (audio)
Definition of rulernext
as in monarch
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority the aging ruler agonized over the choice of an heir

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ruler The short poem with the ruler’s name as the title was published in 1818. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2026 During the visit — the first by a Canadian leader to Saudi Arabia in 26 years — Carney met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler. — ABC News, 9 July 2026 On that note, with your celestial ruler, Venus, taking a dip in your sleepy 12th house of resting, retreating and surrendering to the ebb and flow of your spirit, you’re encouraged to slow down. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026 In 2023, a 440-pound bronze statue of an Indian ruler was stolen from Guadalupe River Park, which served as a significant cultural monument for the city’s Indian community. — Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ruler
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruler
  1. monarch
  2. emperor
  3. sovereign
  4. king
Noun
  • Yet the wider Newcastle fanbase always welcomed him as their monarch.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Delphine’s mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, was not married to the former monarch, but a court in Brussels ruled that Delphine has the same legal rights as his other children, including a royal title as princess.
    — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
Definition of monarch
Noun
  • Japan’s government separated the two traditions of Shinto and Buddhism in 1868 during the Meiji era, effectively bringing Shinto shrines under state control and placing the emperor at the center of the new order.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • Consider paintings like Caracalla, where the titular emperor treads a trail of rose petals; or In a Rose Garden, where a woman shakes the petals of a rose bush down on her companion; and the extravaganza of The Roses of Heliogabalus.
    — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 17 July 2026
Definition of emperor
Noun
  • The centuries-old ceremony sees the sovereign symbolically accept the keys to the city of Edinburgh and immediately return them for safekeeping.
    — Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
  • This has seen both sovereigns and corporates raising billions of dollars in conventional bonds and sukuk over recent months.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 30 June 2026
Definition of sovereign
Noun
  • The War In times of peace, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) had hosted parties in their palace for all — even beggars were welcome.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • Jon Bernthal as Menelaus Menelaus is the king whose wife Helen sparked the Trojan War.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of king

Browse Nearby Words

rule out
ruler
rulers
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Cite this Entry

“Ruler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruler. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of ruler for Spanish Speakers

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