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

Its airports have remained operational, its economy benefited from a larger citizen population (rather than relying on expatriates), and Tehran has been more cautious in confronting the kingdom directly. —Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 4 June 2026

Behold the kingdom of golden arches, where Big Macs reign supreme, salty fries slide into ubiquitous red containers, and McFlurries dance on taste buds all year long. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026

Set in 2093, the film follows young filmmaker Kuve (Abraham Joseph) who travels to the remote village of Umata to document the aftermath of a devastating war that outlawed post-2040s technology and brought ancient kingdoms back to life. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 June 2026

Hurtled out of the kingdom of Eternia as a boy, this Prince Adam (a terrifically game Nicholas Galitzine) came of age in Oklahoma City as a sweet guy who happens to be obsessed with swords. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 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