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

So, as with the previous episode, here’s a quick catch-up with what had been going on in that faraway island kingdom. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2026

In King Lear, the king discovers too late that surrendering his kingdom means surrendering his power. — Anna Rahmanan, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026

Nahargarh Fort was built as a retreat for the royal women and is now one of the city’s most popular viewpoints, while Jaigarh Fort, the kingdom’s defensive fortress, houses one of the world’s largest cannons. — Shalbha Sarda, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2026

The film features a vengeful governess (Carey Mulligan), a Bandit King (Mahershala Ali), and an entire kingdom of talking animals (Tom Waits may or may not voice a coyote soldier). — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 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