monarch

noun mon·arch \ ˈmä-nərk , -ˌnärk \

|Updated on: 3 Aug 2018

Examples: monarch in a Sentence

Definition of monarch

1 : a person who reigns over a kingdom or empire: such as

a : a sovereign ruler

b : a constitutional (see ¹constitutional 3) king or queen

2 : one that holds preeminent position or power

cotton, monarch of the textile world
—Wall Street Journal

3 : monarch butterfly

—

monarchal

play \mə-ˈnär-kəl, mä-\ or monarchial play \-kē-əl\ adjective

See monarch defined for English-language learners

See monarch defined for kids

Examples of monarch in a Sentence

a new history of French monarchs
the ruling monarch of Britain at that time was Queen Elizabeth I

Recent Examples of monarch from the Web

The Trumps towered over the monarch, who stands roughly 5-foot-3.

— julie hirschfeld davis, BostonGlobe.com, "In changing of tone, Trump heaps praise on May as ‘tough’ and ‘capable’," 13 July 2018
Elizabeth, 92, who is now the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has met every president since Truman, except for Lyndon B. Johnson.

— katie rogers, New York Times, "From Truman to Trump, Queen Elizabeth Has Met 12 U.S. Presidents," 13 July 2018
Britain’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has entertained many of them, and is expected to meet President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle.

— olivia b. waxman, Time, "5 World Leaders Whose Visits to the U.K. Sparked Controversy," 12 July 2018
It was first announced back in 2012 that Ronan would play the lead in the biopic of the Scottish monarch, who returned from France as a teenager to rule the country of her birth.

— jamie hawkesworth, Vogue, "Saoirse Ronan on Growing Up on Camera, the Changing Politics of Ireland, and Becoming a Queen," 11 July 2018
That original 1841 dress was worn by five monarchs, as well as Louis's grandfather Prince Charles and his father Prince William.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "Prince George and Prince William Matched at Their Baby Brothers' Christenings—34 Years Apart," 9 July 2018
In his future, McAulty’s robots are benevolent monarchs, bloodthirsty tyrants, and unknowable gods who hold all the cards against humans.

— shannon liao, The Verge, "In The Robots of Gotham, AI has taken over the world — and become exactly like us," 7 July 2018
As per usual in a royal welcoming ceremony, the monarch and the president were to inspect the Guard of Honor and then watch troops march past.

— gregory korte, USA TODAY, "Trumps meet Queen Elizabeth II, treated to royal pomp, pageantry and tea," 13 July 2018
British film stars Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley and Tom Hardy and Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro are among those receiving honors in the name of Britain's monarch.

— Fox News, "Queen Elizabeth II to honor Emma Thompson, Tom Hardy and Keira Knightley at Buckingham Palace," 9 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'monarch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of monarch

Late Latin monarcha, from Greek monarchos, from mon- + -archos -arch

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

monarch Synonyms

Synonyms

baron, captain, czar (also tsar), king, lion, lord, magnate, mogul, prince, tycoon;

Near Antonyms

lightweight, small-timer;

inferior, subordinate, underling;

nobody, nothing, zero;

celebrity, personality, star, superstar;

deity, demigod, god;

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

MONARCH Defined for English Language Learners

monarch

noun

Definition of monarch for English Language Learners

: a person (such as a king or queen) who rules a kingdom or empire

MONARCH Defined for Kids

monarch

noun mon·arch \ ˈmä-nərk , -ˌnärk \

Definition of monarch for Students

1 : a person who reigns over a kingdom or an empire

2 : monarch butterfly

Learn More about monarch

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for monarch Spanish Central: Translation of monarch Nglish: Translation of monarch for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of monarch for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monarch

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monarch

Definition of monarch

monarchal

Examples of monarch in a Sentence

Recent Examples of monarch from the Web

Origin and Etymology of monarch

monarch Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Government and Politics Terms

MONARCH Defined for English Language Learners

monarch

Definition of monarch for English Language Learners

MONARCH Defined for Kids

monarch

Definition of monarch for Students

Learn More about monarch

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