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
3
: one that holds a preeminent position
especially
: a chief among competitors
the cattle kings rode up from the south —
Alan Moorehead
Alan Moorehead even if no longer king, cotton remains the chief cash crop —Howell Walker
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
Synonyms
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
West won, cashed his king of trumps and led a club to East’s king.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
The king of Gonzo had gotten closer to the Angels’ inner sanctum than just about anyone else had, a feat that the new A&E docuseries Secrets of the Hells Angels (premiering Sunday) tries to replicate in a smaller, safer, and slicker way.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2024
The king of Thailand is currently married to his fourth wife, Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2024
Disney is welcoming the king of the Pride Lands back to Las Vegas.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
Or, as Ben Affleck, king of Boston, would say: That would be wicked.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2024
The world’s oldest superyacht—and formerly the world’s biggest—was originally built for the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Khedive Ismail, and later carried three Egyptian kings into exile.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
In the original epic, Hanuman assists in rescuing Ram’s wife, Sita, from the clutches of the demon king Ravana.
—Siddhant Adlakha, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Such a plan is fraught with peril, starting with the fact that the king already has a lover, the Earl of Somerset (Laurie Davidson), who has no intention of allowing anyone to loosen his hold over him.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
The king of Gonzo had gotten closer to the Angels’ inner sanctum than just about anyone else had, a feat that the new A&E docuseries Secrets of the Hells Angels (premiering Sunday) tries to replicate in a smaller, safer, and slicker way.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2024
The king of Thailand is currently married to his fourth wife, Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 11 Apr. 2024
Disney is welcoming the king of the Pride Lands back to Las Vegas.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024
Or, as Ben Affleck, king of Boston, would say: That would be wicked.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2024
The world’s oldest superyacht—and formerly the world’s biggest—was originally built for the Ottoman governor of Egypt, Khedive Ismail, and later carried three Egyptian kings into exile.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
In the original epic, Hanuman assists in rescuing Ram’s wife, Sita, from the clutches of the demon king Ravana.
—Siddhant Adlakha, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
Such a plan is fraught with peril, starting with the fact that the king already has a lover, the Earl of Somerset (Laurie Davidson), who has no intention of allowing anyone to loosen his hold over him.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 5 Apr. 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.
Articles Related to king
Dictionary Entries Near king
Cite this Entry
“King.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/king. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
king
noun1
: 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
2 of 8biographical name (2)
Billie Jean 1943– née Moffitt American tennis player
King
3 of 8biographical name (3)
Ernest Joseph 1878–1956 American admiral
King
4 of 8biographical name (4)
Martin Luther, Jr. 1929–1968 American clergyman and civil rights leader
King
5 of 8biographical name (5)
Rufus 1755–1827 American politician and diplomat
King
6 of 8biographical name (6)
Stephen (Edwin) 1947– American writer
King
7 of 8biographical name (7)
William Lyon Mackenzie 1874–1950 Canadian statesman; prime minister (1921–26; 1926–30; 1935–48)
King
8 of 8biographical name (8)
William Rufus de Vane 1786–1853 American politician; vice president of the U.S. (1853)
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