1
a
: of kingly ancestry
the royal family
b
: of, relating to, or subject to the crown
the royal estates
c
: being in the crown's service
Royal Air Force
2
a
: suitable for royalty : magnificent
b
: requiring no exertion : easy
there is no royal road to logic—
Justus Buchler
Justus Buchler3
a
: of superior size, magnitude, or quality
a patronage of royal dimensions—J. H. Plumb
—often used as an intensiveJ. H. Plumba royal pain
b
: established or chartered by the crown
4
: of, relating to, or being a part (such as a mast, sail, or yard) next above the topgallant
1
: a person of royal blood
2
: a small sail on the royal mast immediately above the topgallant sail
3
: a stag of 8 years or more having antlers with at least 12 points
Synonyms
Examples of royal in a Sentence
Adjective
They received a royal welcome as they stepped off the plane.
the school superintendent received a royal welcome
Noun
magazine stories about the private lives of royals
Recent Examples on the WebLauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
The announcement meant that the five grandchildren would no longer be expected to perform official royal duties in the future.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Lady Di is credited with revolutionizing royal fashion, opting for bold sweaters and statement-making gowns that challenged conservatives.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2024
Just a few days afterward, Prince Andrew stepped back from royal duties.
—Karen Zamora, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
American late-night host Stephen Colbert brought up speculation about marital troubles to explain Kate’s retreat from royal duties, citing an old, unsubstantiated rumor that William cheated.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
The controversial exchange—full of bizarre explanations and quotable one-liners—went on to cause a global storm, and led to the Prince stepping back from royal duties just days later.
—Armani Syed, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
In it, Gillian plays Emily Maitlis, the BBC journalist who conducted that infamous Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew, Duke of York, about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which subsequently led to Andrew stepping back from royal duties.
—Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
The aftermath to what can rightly be called a landmark moment in Bombshell TV has been duly discussed, dissected, and given the timeline treatment: Prince Andrew quickly stepped away from his royal duties, was stripped of his titles, and witnessed a verdict passed in the court of public opinion.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
Villa center-back Tyrone Mings was also photographed standing close to the royals.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The point of at least part of this work, it’s understood in some quarters, is to help contribute to special interest publications, essentially Condé Nast’s versions of Time magazine’s one-off magazine on the future of medicine or an Us tribute to Matthew Perry or the royals.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Their private battles have forced other royals to step up their public duties.
—USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
As well as the grouse shoots, picnics and muddy dog walks that keep members of the family entertained during the long summer days, the estate has also been a place of solace where the royals can enjoy time out of the limelight.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Rather than using Pitt’s royal and gold, the Chinese had made up uniforms in white and navy blue, which, in this corner of Pennsylvania, verged on sacrilege: Penn State colors.
—Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Despite stepping away from public engagements, Prince Andrew has continued to join the royals for family events such as holiday church outings, funerals and other services.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
This year’s celebration is a quieter affair with fewer royals in attendance to minimize the King’s contact with others during his treatment.
—Max Foster, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Editor’s Note: This is a version of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family.
—Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
The announcement meant that the five grandchildren would no longer be expected to perform official royal duties in the future.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Lady Di is credited with revolutionizing royal fashion, opting for bold sweaters and statement-making gowns that challenged conservatives.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2024
Just a few days afterward, Prince Andrew stepped back from royal duties.
—Karen Zamora, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
American late-night host Stephen Colbert brought up speculation about marital troubles to explain Kate’s retreat from royal duties, citing an old, unsubstantiated rumor that William cheated.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
The controversial exchange—full of bizarre explanations and quotable one-liners—went on to cause a global storm, and led to the Prince stepping back from royal duties just days later.
—Armani Syed, TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
In it, Gillian plays Emily Maitlis, the BBC journalist who conducted that infamous Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew, Duke of York, about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which subsequently led to Andrew stepping back from royal duties.
—Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
The aftermath to what can rightly be called a landmark moment in Bombshell TV has been duly discussed, dissected, and given the timeline treatment: Prince Andrew quickly stepped away from his royal duties, was stripped of his titles, and witnessed a verdict passed in the court of public opinion.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
The balcony is where members of the family gather during certain special events and where newly married royals have waved to their adoring fans below.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
Villa center-back Tyrone Mings was also photographed standing close to the royals.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The point of at least part of this work, it’s understood in some quarters, is to help contribute to special interest publications, essentially Condé Nast’s versions of Time magazine’s one-off magazine on the future of medicine or an Us tribute to Matthew Perry or the royals.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Their private battles have forced other royals to step up their public duties.
—USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
As well as the grouse shoots, picnics and muddy dog walks that keep members of the family entertained during the long summer days, the estate has also been a place of solace where the royals can enjoy time out of the limelight.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Rather than using Pitt’s royal and gold, the Chinese had made up uniforms in white and navy blue, which, in this corner of Pennsylvania, verged on sacrilege: Penn State colors.
—Peter Hessler, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Despite stepping away from public engagements, Prince Andrew has continued to join the royals for family events such as holiday church outings, funerals and other services.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
This year’s celebration is a quieter affair with fewer royals in attendance to minimize the King’s contact with others during his treatment.
—Max Foster, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'royal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near royal
Cite this Entry
“Royal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/royal. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share