king

noun

1
a
: a male monarch of a major territorial unit
especially : one whose position is hereditary and who rules for life
b
: a paramount chief
2
capitalized : god, christ
… to worship the King, the Lord of hosts …Zechariah 14:16 (Revised Standard Version)
3
: one that holds a preeminent position
especially : a chief among competitors
the cattle kings rode up from the south Alan Moorehead
even if no longer king, cotton remains the chief cash crop Howell Walker
4
: the principal piece of each color in chess having the power to move ordinarily one square in any direction and to capture opposing pieces but being obliged never to enter or remain in check
5
: a playing card marked with a stylized figure of a king
6
: a checker that has been crowned
7

Examples of king in a Sentence

He pledged his loyalty to the king and queen. the reign of King James He became king at a young age. He's widely regarded as the king of soul music. He was voted king of the prom. The lion is known as the king of the jungle. She won the game by checkmating his king.
Recent Examples on the Web Shoppers can choose from a number of colors, including coral and ballet pink, in sizes twin through California king. Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024 In my club’s penny game, South won the first heart with the king, led a diamond to dummy’s king and let the eight of trumps ride. Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 Sleep divorce has been practiced for generations, as before queen and king beds, couples had two smaller beds in one room. Keyaira Boone, Essence, 16 Mar. 2024 Editor's note: All prices reflect a queen-size mattress but every option comes in a variety of sizes from twin to California king. Sarah Madaus, Allure, 14 Mar. 2024 As girlfriend to the future king, the tabloids hoped to catch her in a misstep or tacky moment. Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024 The Illenium oeuvre, developed over his five studio albums, is cinematic, anthemic, often heavy and typically lyrically personal music that mulls deeper themes — love, heartbreak, rage — than standard dance refrains about putting your f–king hands up. Katie Bain, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 The set comes with a comforter and two matching shams and is available in sizes from twin to oversized king. Gabriella Maestri, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'king.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English cyning; akin to Old High German kuning king, Old English cynn kin

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of king was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near king

Cite this Entry

“King.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/king. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

king

noun
1
: a male ruler of a country who usually inherits his position and rules for life
2
: a chief among competitors
an oil king
3
: the chief piece in the game of chess
4
: a playing card bearing the figure of a king
5
: a piece in the game of checkers that has reached the opponent's back row and has been crowned

Biographical Definition

King 1 of 8

biographical name (1)

B. B. 1925–2015 originally Riley B. King American blues musician

King

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biographical name (2)

Billie Jean 1943–     née Moffitt American tennis player

King

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biographical name (3)

Ernest Joseph 1878–1956 American admiral

King

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biographical name (4)

Martin Luther, Jr. 1929–1968 American clergyman and civil rights leader

King

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biographical name (5)

Rufus 1755–1827 American politician and diplomat

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biographical name (6)

Stephen (Edwin) 1947–     American writer

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biographical name (7)

William Lyon Mackenzie 1874–1950 Canadian statesman; prime minister (1921–26; 1926–30; 1935–48)

King

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biographical name (8)

William Rufus de Vane 1786–1853 American politician; vice president of the U.S. (1853)

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