kingdom

noun

king·​dom ˈkiŋ-dəm 

1

: a politically organized community or major territorial unit having a monarchical form of government headed by a king or queen

2

often Kingdom

a

: the eternal kingship of God

b

: the realm in which God's will is fulfilled

3

a

: a realm or region in which something is dominant

a cattle kingdom

b

: an area or sphere in which one holds a preeminent position

The office was his own private kingdom.

4

a

: one of the three primary divisions into which natural objects are commonly classified compare animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, plant kingdom

b

: a major category (such as Plantae or Protista) in biological taxonomy that ranks above the phylum and below the domain

5

archaic : kingship

Synonyms of kingdom

• realm
• area
• domain
• department
• element
• field
• sphere
• walk
• province

Examples of kingdom in a Sentence

After Queen Mary I died, her half sister Elizabeth ruled the kingdom.

a studio head who was once the undisputed ruler of the kingdom of Hollywood

Recent Examples on the Web

Experts point out that there are no known examples of this sort of clothing in comparable sculptures from Anatolia or mainland Greece, so the garb reflects a local tradition distinct to the ancient kingdom of Lydia. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Blame has been pointed the other way, however, with Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles on Monday demanding Rabat, Morocco, investigate the local failure to stop tens of thousands of migrants from leaving the kingdom. — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026

The kingdom must be persuaded to accept the full scope of IAEA safeguards, including the intrusive inspections required by the Additional Protocol. — Yoel Guzansky, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026

The loss of a solid Saudi plan B This de-escalation of Saudi-Houthi tensions was critical in enabling the Gulf kingdom to quickly pivot its oil exports from its east coast ports to the west coast after the Strait of Hormuz was blocked in March 2026. — Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing kingdom

• animal kingdom
• kingdom come
• mineral kingdom
• plant kingdom
• to kingdom come

Kids Definition

kingdom

noun

king·​dom ˈkiŋ-dəm 

1

: a country whose ruler is a king or queen

2

: a region in which something or someone has very strong influence

the cotton kingdom

3

a

: one of the three primary divisions into which natural objects are classified compare animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, plant kingdom

b

: a major category in the scientific classification of living things that ranks above the phylum and below the domain

Medical Definition

kingdom

noun

king·​dom ˈkiŋ-dəm 

1

: any of the three primary divisions into which natural objects are grouped see animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, plant kingdom

2

: a major category (as Protista) in biological taxonomy that ranks above the phylum and below the domain