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
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
Visit the Binnenhof, one of Europe’s oldest parliamentary buildings and stroll past Noordeinde Palace, the working palace of the Dutch king.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
The heart king may not be pulling its full weight but might provide a discard.
—Deb Harvell, Arkansas Online, 18 May 2025
No staff member — not even the pizza king himself — could tell the difference.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
The Magna Carta is a British constitutional document that established the principle that the king and his government are not above the law.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for king
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
The heart king may not be pulling its full weight but might provide a discard.
—Deb Harvell, Arkansas Online, 18 May 2025
No staff member — not even the pizza king himself — could tell the difference.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 17 May 2025
The Magna Carta is a British constitutional document that established the principle that the king and his government are not above the law.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for king
Cite this Entry
“King.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/king. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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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