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

The Houthis also declared a blockade of Saudi shipping using the Red Sea – a vital outlet for the kingdom’s crude oil since Iran has sought to block the Strait of Hormuz. — Becky Anderson, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

The attacks ignited fires at several oil facilities and utilities in Saudi Arabia’s southern region, the kingdom’s Energy Ministry said, adding that operations at the oil facilities and utilities were temporarily suspended. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund backs EV maker Lucid, whose assembly plant near Jeddah will reach full production this year, and owns CEER, the kingdom’s homegrown EV brand expected to roll out this year. — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Last June, the kingdom’s efforts were rewarded with the announcement that there would be, for the first time, a Saudi Arabia edition of the Michelin guide. — Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 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