monarch butterfly

noun

: a large migratory American butterfly (Danaus plexippus) that has orange-brown wings with black veins and borders and a larva that feeds on milkweed

Illustration of monarch butterfly

Examples of monarch butterfly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Working with other volunteers, Smee has helped remove invasive plants and plant native species, including 30 oak trees that attract local wildlife like the endangered monarch butterfly, mountain lions and bobcats. —Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026

Programs like the University of Illinois Chicago’s nationwide agreements for monarch butterflies and bumblebees help companies reduce regulatory delays and help conserve endangered and declining species at the same time. —Dan Salas, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2026

That includes the bay checkerspot butterfly and likely the monarch butterfly, California tiger salamander, western pond turtle and other endemic species. —Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Mar. 2026

Terry Tempest Williams on the plight of the monarch butterfly. —Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for monarch butterfly

• canaliculi
• dwi
• micronuclei
• oversimplify
• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify

Kids Definition

monarch butterfly

noun

: a large orange and black American butterfly that migrates in large numbers in the spring and fall and whose larva feeds on milkweed