monarch

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noun mon·arch \ ˈmä-nərk , -ˌnärk \

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

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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

Americans prefer monarchs who profess to be self-made, and on this front, too, Vanderpump gratifies.

— allison p. davis, The Cut, "Lisa Vanderpump Is the Royalty America Craves," 23 Aug. 2017
Instead, the village agreed to promote milkweed planting to help monarchs.

— irv leavitt, chicagotribune.com, "Northbrook activists working to save monarch butterflies in northern Illinois," 15 Aug. 2017
A surprising number of popes and monarchs have died in their wake.

— ross andersen, The Atlantic, "The Eclipse as Dark Omen," 10 Aug. 2017
Eventually Henry Tudor of the Lancasters defeated Richard III of the Yorks, and became the first Tudor monarch in 1485.

— eliza thompson, Cosmopolitan, "8 Totally Real Things That Inspired Game of Thrones," 26 July 2017
Britain’s longest ruling monarch is a creature of habit.

— rebecca angel baer, Southern Living, "One More Corgi to Love for Queen Elizabeth," 21 July 2017
Churchill, meanwhile, was alive to the danger of having an alternative monarch so close to being in Nazi hands.

— robert hutton, Bloomberg.com, "Churchill Tried to Cover Up Nazi Plan to Woo Former King," 19 July 2017
Vanessa Kirby as the impetuous foil to Foy’s restrained monarch feels like a very solid option, with another newcomer, the very popular Chrissy Metz, well-positioned to take up slot number two.

— vanityfair.com, "2017 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Who Will Get a Nod This Year?," 11 July 2017
Reserved for the monarch's oldest child, the Duchy of Cornwall (much like the Duchy of Lancaster) is generated from a percentage of the profits from 135,000 acres of real estate holdings in the Southwest England.

— sarah schreiber, House Beautiful, "Here Is Every Royal's Reported Net Worth," 29 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 15th century

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monarch Synonyms

Synonyms

autocrat, potentate, ruler, sovereign (also sovran)

Related Words

coruler; Caesar, czar (also tsar or tzar), emir (or amir also ameer), emperor, empress, kaiser, khan, khedive, king, lord, mikado, mogul, prince, queen, satrap, shah, sultan, suzerain; authoritarian, Big Brother, despot, dictator, führer (or fuehrer), monocrat, overlord, paramount, tyrant

Near Antonyms

half-pint, lightweight, small-timer; inferior, subordinate, underling; nobody, nothing, zero

Other Government and Politics Terms

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

MONARCH Defined for English Language Learners

monarch

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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

play

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

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Examples of monarch in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of monarch

monarch Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

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

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