kingship

noun

king·​ship ˈkiŋ-ˌship How to pronounce kingship (audio)
1
: the position, office, or dignity of a king
2
: the personality of a king
3
: government by a king

Examples of kingship in a Sentence

He has all the traits required for kingship.
Recent Examples on the Web In fairness, his reward was a centuries-long life and the kingship of Númenor, an island of men similarly endowed with longevity. Jack Butler, National Review, 31 Dec. 2023 Water lilies on reservoir surfaces indicated clean water and symbolized Classic Maya kingship. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 9 Oct. 2023 In societies without a tradition of autocracy under a singular individual a broad level of consent from numerous sub-elites of modest means was necessary for an individual to rise to kingship. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2010 When Macbeth has second thoughts, his spouse attacks his manhood to help convince him, the deed is done, and Macbeth takes the kingship when Malcolm flees the country, putting the increasingly unstable new despot at odds with Duncan loyalist Macduff (Corey Hawkins). Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2022 Fittingly, the laws are accompanied by words and images making clear the divine provenance of his kingship. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 1 Dec. 2020 In the Sumerian tradition, kingship isn’t tied to a permanent capital. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2021 Before Kubaba, the lone member of the Third Dynasty of Kish, the kingship rested in Mari for more than a century. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2021 Through its iconography, Mr. Wilkinson examines ancient Egypt’s remarkably durable ideology of kingship. Maxwell Carter, WSJ, 17 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kingship.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kingship was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near kingship

Cite this Entry

“Kingship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kingship. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

kingship

noun
king·​ship ˈkiŋ-ˌship How to pronounce kingship (audio)
1
: the position, office, or dignity of a king
2
: the personality of a king : majesty
3
: government by a king

More from Merriam-Webster on kingship

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!